The plant can grow six feet or taller. Having spines on its stems could be an issue for children but also for trash getting caught on the spines through the wind. Because of its bright berries and leaves it has been widely planted across North America as an ornamental plant. Noteworthy Characteristics. Award-winning Berberis thunbergii 'Orange Rocket' (Japanese Barberry) is a compact, upright, deciduous shrub with small, vibrant coral-orange new leaves that change to mid-green in summer before turning brilliant shades of red-orange in the fall. Japanese barberry has small, oval, alternate leaves. “Spirea is a great alternative to barberry, also weigela, boxwood and holly,” said Morris. Identify Bush - Found a bush in the woods. Controlling Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC) in southern New England, USA. Many cultivars are available. Small, yellow flowers are produced during the spring, but are not particularly noticeable since they are under the foliage. The deciduous shrub grows 3 to 6 feet tall and has a spread of 4 to 7 feet. Too Much Rain - Three weeks ago I planted new shrubs (barberry) in my yard and we have had nothing but rain ever since. It thrives It is used widely as landscape material, due in part to its resistance to deer browsing. Foliage is green to a dark reddish purple. To their credit, Sabellico recommends alternatives. Where deer numbers are high, palatable native species are replaced by barberry. With all this said, this plant does not have serious pest problems. The stems have single spines along their length. Cut it back in autumn, shooted ... Q. ... Q. Berberis With Mildew - Moved into house 12 months ago. Japanese barberry Berberis thunbergii Japanese barberry is native to Japan, and was introduced to the United States in the late 1800s as an ornamental plant. All of those are great alternatives and none of them cause the environmental problems that Japanese barberry does. (Answer) According to the Ontario Invasive Species Awareness Program, Japanese barberry Berberis thunbergii is an invasive shrub native to Japan that was introduced to North America in the 1870s at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. Japanese Barberry: Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is the most popular landscape barberry. Perhaps most disturbing, Japanese barberry provides the perfect conditions for black-legged (aka "deer") ticks - the primary vector for the spread of Lyme disease and a number of other blood-borne diseases including babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. Its dense thickets provide the humidity that baby ticks require, earning it the charming nickname of "tick nursery". The shrub is medium to very dense with many thorns. Leaves (variably sized to 1 1/4” long) typically turn attractive shades of orange, yellow and red in fall. Anthracnose, root rot, bacterial leaf spot, wilt, scale, barberry webworm, and aphids are some problems … Berberis shrub (barberry) in front garden had mildew. Forest Ecology and Management 257(2): 561-566. Q. The leaves are small, rounded, and arranged in clusters above the spines. Japanese barberry cultivars can range in color from chartreuse, gold, maroon, and green. It grows from 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 7 feet wide, depending on the cultivar. Tiny, scented, pale yellow flowers appear in early summer, but are insignificant in comparison to the foliage. Barberry is a very dense plant due to the multitude of small twigs and branches. Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a hardy deciduous shrub, meaning it drops its leaves at the end of the growing season.While it's considered an invasive species in parts of North America due to its tolerance for many growing conditions and ability to outcompete native plants, it's still commonly grow as a landscape plant. Probably the most popular barberry in American gardens, Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zones 4 through 8.