Barberry-Red Leaf Japanese

The Barberry bush or RedLeaf Japanese bush, Berberis thunbergii, is a deciduous shrub reaching up to 24" tall and about 30" wide. The branches are slender, spiny, and small, and the leaves are roundly oval in a deep red to purple color. The small, yellow flowers borne beneath leaves, from April to May, are not showy. Bright red berries can be found along stems from late fall through winter. Ironically, this is never really considered a feature of this plant. Barberry bushes are best located in full sun. This plant is tolerant of many types of soil, but will not do well in wet to very moist soils. As name Barberry implies, this makes an excellent hedge or filler shrub.