Japanese barberry
Berberis thunbergii
Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a shrub suited to the Colorado Front Range. It matures to about 2–5 ft tall and 3–5 ft wide, needs low to medium water, and prefers full sun to part. Tough, colorful foliage, classic CO barrier hedge. Note: invasive in some eastern states — not here. Sterile cultivars preferred.
low to medium water2–5 ft tall and 3–5 ft wideXeric / water-wiseDeer-resistant
Photos
At a glance
- Botanical name
- Berberis thunbergii
- Variety / cultivar
- 'Crimson Pygmy', 'Rose Glow', 'Concorde', 'Aurea'
- Type
- Shrub
- Mature size
- 2–5 ft tall and 3–5 ft wide
- Water needs
- low to medium water
- Sun
- full sun to part
- Colorado native
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Soil
- clay, loam, sandy
- Soil pH
- 6.0–8.0
- Hail tolerance
- high
- Wind tolerance
- moderate
- Salt tolerance
- moderate
- Bloom color
- yellow
- Bloom time
- mid spring
- Pollinator value
- low
Planting & establishment
Water deeply 1×/week first summer to establish. After establishment, water 1–2×/month during dry stretches.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Japanese barberry good for the Colorado Front Range?
- Yes. Japanese barberry is included in the Front Range Plant Finder as a shrub suited to Colorado's Front Range.
- How big does Japanese barberry get?
- It matures to about 2–5 ft tall and 3–5 ft wide.
- How much water does Japanese barberry need?
- It needs low to medium water once established.
- Is Japanese barberry native to Colorado?
- No — it is not a Colorado native, but it grows well on the Front Range.
