Barberry are very attractive shrubs planted in garden beds, used for hedges and in urban greenery. Particularly popular arered-leaved barberryvarieties, which allow you to create contrasting compositions with green-leaved plants. Seewhich red barberry to choose for the garden , what are the differences between individual red barberry, what does the red barberry cultivation look like , as well as how and when to trim these shrubs . Everything you need to know about red barberry!
Red barberry planted on a hedge
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Red barberry - varieties
The term red barberry is defined asvarious varieties of this shrub with red, maroon or other red leaves. Most varieties with red foliage can be found among the varieties of the Thunberg barberry (Berberis Thunbergii) species. However, more inquisitive gardeners will also find red barberry among the varieties of other species of this shrub.
Thunberg's barberry 'Atropurpurea'- is one of the most famous red-leaved barberry varieties. It is a fast growing shrub with purple to purple-brown leaves, turning carmine in fall. The flowers of this variety are yellow-red. It is also decorated with red fruit for a long time. So there is no shortage of red accents in this plant.
Thunberg's barberry 'Atropurpurea' is a relatively easy-to-grow shrub, which grows well in unfertile soils, tolerates urban conditions well and is fully frost-resistant in our climate (it belongs to the plant's frost resistance zone 5A). This red barberry is recommended for planting in groups or hedges , also formed, as it is good at pruning. This shrub grows up to 1.5 m in height, and it is planted on a hedge at a distance of 2-3 per 1 m.
Thunberg's barberry 'Atropurpurea Nana'- this is a proposal for people looking for a red barberry with slower growth and much smaller dimensions. The leaves of this plant are purple. It blooms yellow in late May and early June. Best planted in light soils, in direct sunlight or partial shade. It grows to only 60 cm in height and 1 m in width, reaching a spherical habit. It is agreat red barberry for low fringed hedges , for color combinations in flower beds, and sometimes also used in rockeries. If we plant it in groups, we should fit 2-4 plants per 1 m².
Red barberry with yellow leaves fringes
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Thunberga's barberry 'Admiration'- is a beautiful variety of red barberry with dark orange leaves with a yellow border. It is a dwarf shrub with a spherical shape, reaching up to 0.5 m in height. It has low soil requirements, but looks good only in full sun. It is recommended for color combinations on flower beds, borders and rock gardens.
Red leaves with a colorful border also haveThunberg's barberry variety 'Coronita'Leaves of this variety are purple with a thin green border that may fade to older leaves. It is a shrub slightly larger than the Admiration variety, reaching up to 1 m in height, and its shoots are slightly arched.Thunberg's barberry 'Golden Ring'It is the most vigorously growing of the red-leaved barberry varieties mentioned here, reaching 2 to 3 m in height.
Thunberg's barberry 'Bagatelle'- this is a dwarf shrub with a flat-rounded habit and thorny stems. It grows up to 40 cm in height. Its leaves are brownish red, much darker than that of the 'Admiration' cultivar. However, the use and habitat requirements are identical.
Yellow barberry flowers contrast beautifully with its red leaves
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Thunberg's barberry 'Red Chief'- has narrow, dark, purple-brown leaves that turn red in autumn. It produces pink fruits that also adorn the shrub in winter. Branches overhang in an arched manner. It grows quickly, eventually reaching 2-3 m in height. It has low soil requirements and is perfect for creating hedges and rows.
Thunberg's barberry 'Dart's Red Lady'It is a red barberry variety not exceeding 1 m in height and taking the form of a small, dense bush. Recommended for low hedges, for planting in containers and for colorful bedding compositions.
An interesting color of the leaves hasThunberg's barberry 'Harlequin'Its leaves are red with white, pink and gray spots.The shoots of this plant are red and the flowers are contrasting yellow. This makes this shrub look great during the flowering period, but it decorates the garden all year round.
Red berries of barberry
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At the beginning of the article, however, I promised that we would presentred barberry also belonging to other species than Thunberg's barberry . The selection of these plants is not large, but you will find something interesting: -)
Intermediate barberry (Berberis x media) 'Red Jewel'- is a dense shrub with shoots covered with triple thorns, growing up to 1.5 m in height and the same width. Its leaves are shiny, purple-red, and the yellow flowers contrast with them from May to June. As in the case of the above-described Thubnderga barberry, it is an undemanding plant, tolerates polluted air in cities, and can grow in full sun and partial shade.The main difference is that it is less resistant to frost, so'Red Jewel' should not be planted in places exposed to severe frosts , avoiding the eastern part of Poland.
Ottawa barberry (Berberis x Ottawensis) 'Silver Miles'- is a tall, thorny shrub with a broad-spherical shape, reaching up to 3 meters in height and width. The leaves are purple with a variegated silver-gray discoloration and an irregular white margin. Red accents in this shrub are also yellow-red flowers appearing in May and red fruit. It is a plant with low soil requirements, fully frost-resistant, perfect for hedges (for this purpose, we plant it at a distance of 1-2 pieces per running meter).
Beautiful contrast. Yellow flowers and maroon leaves of the Ottawa barberry
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The presentedvarieties of barberry with red leavesare of course not all red barberry found in Polish nurseries.There are many more of them, especially among the varieties of Thunberg's barberry. We should also remember that those with green foliage turn red very nicely in autumn. So if we planted a barberry variety with green leaves, in the fall we will enjoy red accents in the garden anyway.
More interesting varieties of barberry , along with their descriptions and photos, are presented in the Catalog of plants - trees, shrubs, perennials recommended by the Polish Nurserymen Association. People looking for interesting plants for the garden, I highly recommend acquiring this catalog.
Red barberry - cultivation
Red barberries mentioned in this articleare plants that are undemanding to soil, fully frost-resistant, tolerate urban conditions well, and can grow in full sun and partial shade. Only for Thunberg's barberry 'Bagatelle', 'Coronita' and 'Harlequin', only a sunny position will be suitable, while the intermediate barberry 'Red Jewel' is the only one of the above-mentioned red barberries characterized by lower frost resistance.
Red barberry prefer light soils , not very fertile, from acidic to slightly alkaline. They are drought-resistant plants. Thanks to these featuresgrowing red barberry is not complicatedand usually doesn't cause problems.
This red barberry will bloom soon: -)
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Planting red barberry is best done in spring or autumn , although bushes sold in containers can be planted throughout the growing season, from spring to autumn. Barberry with seasonal leaves intended for hedges are also sold in the form of dug from the ground, from the so-called exposed root. Such seedlings are much cheaper (which is not without significance if we need a larger number of plants for a hedge) but also more delicate. In order for them to adapt well, they can only be planted in early spring or late autumn, preferably in a leafless state.
Red barberry - pruning
All red barberries tolerate pruning , but not all require it. It is always worth pruning young plants to thicken and create new strong shoots. Then, dwarf, compact and spherical varieties do not need to be trimmed, because they retain a nice habit by themselves. On the other hand, older shrubs must be cut, growing vigorously and in the form of a hedge to limit their growth, maintain a compact and dense habit or give them the desired shape.
Trimming red barberry
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Newly planted barberries are pruned vigorously in spring , preferably in March. The aim of this treatment is to obtain many new, fresh shoots and the best compaction of the bush. Shrubs planted in spring should be pruned immediately after planting, and planted in autumn, pruned next spring.For young barberrys, shorten all shoots by half their length.
For the next two years of growing red barberry , the plant should be shortened by half of the new twigs that grew in the previous year. We also cut out cross-over shoots, weakened or showing signs of disease, as well as those that have accidentally broken.
Older,large and overgrown barberries should be pruned at the beginning of summerwhen they have finished flowering. Then it is worth shortening some of the shoots by half their length to stimulate them to branching and growing new, young shoots. In the case of red-leaved barberry it is important because some red barberry stains most nicely on the leaves growing out of the young shoots. Additionally, in spring, every 2-3 years, it is worth cutting one or two oldest branches close to the ground and getting rid of those that spoil the appearance of the bush.
How to become confident in pruning plants?
If you are unsure how to cut or simply afraid to do it, the fantastic book "Cutting School" will help you.Thanks to it, you will gain confidence in pruning plants and learn to cut plants so that they grow according to your expectations. After reading this book, your approach to pruning plants will probably change completely!
