Barberry seed Berberis vulgaris

LATIN NAME: Berberis vulgaris

COMMON NAME: Common Barberry

The common barberry is the tough, thorny, golden-flowered shrub of the old hedgerows. The dense, spiny, deciduous shrub carries the small, oval, toothed leaves that turn the fine, red and orange in the autumn, and the small, golden-yellow flowers hang in the loose clusters through the spring, to be followed by the small, oblong, bright-red berries that hold on into the winter. The berries have a long record of use in the old kitchens and the old practice, and the shrub is a fine, easy, generous plant of the sunny, well-drained garden.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The common barberry has carved a quiet but solid place in the plant science, and the shrub has been studied for the small, oblong, bright-red berries and the golden-yellow flowers. The chemistry of the berries and the bark, which have a long record of use in the old practice of the households, has been studied closely, and the plant keeps showing up in the work on the traditional remedies and the berried shrubs of the old hedgerows. The fine, red and orange autumn leaves and the spiny, dense habit have also made it a fine garden shrub, and the barberry is a regular subject of the studies of the berberis family.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The common barberry does a lot of work in the garden and the old households. The small, golden-yellow flowers feed the early bees, and the bright-red berries hold on into the winter, feeding the birds and adding their fine, cheerful colour to the bare garden. The berries have a long record of use in the old kitchens and the old practice, and the spiny, dense shrub is an easy, dependable hedge and border plant. It has been written up in the horticultural and the herbal papers for the golden flowers, the red berries and the old uses, and it is a fine, easy shrub of the open, sunny, well-drained garden.

The common barberry is one of the tough, dependable shrubs of the old hedgerows, and the dense, spiny branches make it a fine, impenetrable hedge for the boundary. The small, oval leaves turn the fine, red and orange in the autumn, and the bright-red berries hang on into the winter, one of the good colours of the bare garden.

To grow the common barberry from seed, chill the seeds for a few weeks in the fridge in moist sand, then sow them at a shallow depth in pots of moist, free-draining soil, covering them thinly, keep them in a bright, sheltered spot and water gently. The seedlings appear within a few weeks and grow on steadily. With the sun and the well-drained ground, the golden flowers and the bright-red berries will come in a few seasons.

This shrub has striking reddish purple small leaves that make it a wonderful addition to all landscapes. In the spring it has hanging flowers that give off a very nice fragrance. It's three pronged thorns can provide safety outside of windows. Stratification required.

Red Leaf Japanese Barberry, Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea, Shrub Seeds

Red Leaf Japanese Barberry is a deciduous shrub with a dense arching habit and multi-season interest. Most striking are the deep reddish purple inch long leaves. In spring, scented yellow flowers appear on arching, thorny stems. Bright glossy red berries form in fall and often last through the winter. The berries are attractive to birds. This Barberry is an excellent hedge plant and it also looks good in the middle to rear of beds and borders. With its low maintenance and barbed shoots it is very well suited to barrier planting or screening in large schemes.