Barberry varieties Thunberg

Barberry Thunberg is one of the types of the shrub of the same name. Due to the numerous variety of varieties, unpretentious cultivation and attractive appearance, it is often used to decorate landscapes.

Barberry Thunberg is a member of the barberry family of the genus barberry. Although its natural habitat is in the Far East, where it can be found both on the plains and in mountainous regions, it has also successfully mastered the natural conditions of North America and Europe.

This species is a deciduous shrub, the height of which can reach 2.5-3 m. Arcuate inclined branches form a dense spherical crown. The shoots are colored at the beginning of the season in a bright red or orange-red color, then turning into a deep brown or brown hue. Branches with a ribbed surface have sparse thorns about 1 cm long.

The leaves have an oval-rhomboid or spatulate shape with a rounded or slightly pointed apex. In various varieties of this species, small leaves (2-3 cm long) can be colored green, yellow, red or brown. A feature of the Thunberg barberry is the ability to change the color of the leaves not only during one growing season, but also with age. Green leaves, changing their color, become bright red by the end of the season.

Flowering occurs in May. The yellow flowers are reddish on the outside. They are either collected in cluster inflorescences, or are located singly. However, the flowers do not have the same decorative value as the leaves of the shrub. In the fall, inedible coral-red berries appear on it, which adorn the bare shrub throughout the winter.

This type of barberry has several varieties, each of which is represented by numerous varieties. All of them can differ in the color of foliage and branches, the height of the bush, the shape and size of the crown, and the growth rate. In the middle zone of our country, several varieties of Thunberg barberry are grown.

Dwarf shrubs for their decorative qualities are the most valuable and demanded. Popular varieties of this variety are presented in large numbers. Let's describe some of them.

Low-growing bushes have a height of within 40 cm. The branches are covered with small glossy leaves of a rich emerald green color, which by autumn acquire a red or orange-red hue.

The crown with a diameter of about 40 cm has a flat-sphere shape. Curved short shoots covered with light brown bark and sparse single thorns. The beginning of flowering is May. The berries, painted in light scarlet color, ripen in September-October. The variety is characterized by slow growth.

This is a miniature shrub with numerous shoots forming a dense and dense crown, 70-80 cm wide. The height of an adult plant is about half a meter.

In spring, the crown is covered with small, elongated oval leaves with a light green color. In summer, under the influence of sunlight, the leaves acquire a bright scarlet color. And in the fall, the color becomes a rich orange-red hue.

Thin and elastic thorns of light color cover the branches along the entire length. It blooms in small inflorescences formed by yellow flowers with a golden tint. The oval-shaped fruits have a bright red color.

A low-growing compact bush with a crown height and diameter of up to 40 cm. The dense crown has a beautiful spherical shape. Young shoots of deep red color harmonize beautifully with foliage. Small elliptical leaves, which are initially painted in lilac-pink tones, darken by autumn and acquire violet-purple hues.

Flowering occurs at the end of May. Yellow-red flowers form cluster inflorescences. Fruits are shiny, oblong berries, about 1 cm in size, colored red. The variety has a slow growth rate.

Shrub up to 60 cm high and crown diameter up to 80 cm. Thin and wide-spread branches are covered with small lanceolate leaves. In the spring they have a light orange color, which in summer takes on a deep red hue, and in autumn it becomes burgundy red.

The shoots have a brown color with a red tint. They form a vertically growing loose, highly spreading openwork crown. Small yellow flowers form inflorescences of 2-5 buds during flowering. Small glossy elliptical fruits have a coral red color.

No less popular are such dwarf varieties of Thunberg barberry as Minor with green foliage, Bonanza Gold with light lemon leaves, Koronita with beautifully bordered purple leaves, Bagatelle with beet-colored leaves.

Shrubs are considered to be medium-sized, the maximum height of which is from one to two meters. This species is also represented by several varieties of Thunberg barberry.

The height of an adult shrub ranges from 1.5 to 1.8 m. Beautifully bent branches, densely covered with leaves, form a spreading purple-leaved crown. Its diameter can be up to 1.5 m. The corrugated shoots of bright red color are covered with powerful solitary spines.

The narrow, shiny leaves are 3 to 3.5 cm long. They are painted in bright purple tones and sometimes have brown or black tints. At the end of the season, the color becomes orange with a brownish tint. Lemon-colored buds with a reddish pharynx form small clusters. Ellipse-shaped fruits are colored in a rich bright pink or red.

A light-loving shrub with a maximum height of about 1.2 m has a spreading crown with a width of 1.2 to 1.5 m. It is formed by arcuate branches that have a reddish-purple hue.

Leaves 3.5-4 cm long have various bright shades of red - from fiery bloody to dark purple hues. A feature of the variety is the ability of foliage to acquire a green color in the shade.

Yellow flowers form clusters of 3-5 buds. The bright red berries are in the shape of an elongated ellipse.

The maximum height of an adult plant is 1-1.5 m. Dropped, low-lying branches, covered with yellow-brown bark, form a spreading dome-shaped crown 1.5-2 m wide. Young bushes have a more rounded crown. As the branches grow, they bend arcuate and become almost horizontal.

Oval-shaped small leaves have a shiny purple-red surface with a yellow border around the edge. In the fall, the purple-leaved shrub becomes a bright red color.

Abundant flowering, after which numerous elliptical berries of pink or red color ripen. It is characterized by slow growth.

The maximum height of an adult plant is 1.5 m, and the crown diameter is also about 1.5 m. The crown is formed by vertically growing thick shoots. Young branches are yellowish or crimson red in color.In an adult barberry, the branches become crimson with a brown tint.

In spring, small, rounded leaves are brown-red in color, which gradually turns into a dark green color. In autumn, the foliage turns yellow, at the same time acquiring a brown or orange tint.

During flowering, the cluster-inflorescences are located along the entire length of the shoot. The light red fruits are elliptical in shape. The variety has an average growth rate.

Medium-sized varieties are the most numerous group. In addition to those listed, there are also such: "Erecta" with light green leaves, "Atropurpurea" with brown-red-purple foliage, "Electra" with yellow-green leaves, "Rose Gold" with purple leaves.

Shrubs over two meters high belong to the tall group.

A tall shrub, the height of which reaches 2-3 m, has a wide and spreading crown. Its width is about 2.5 m. The stem of young shoots is light green in color, and the bark of adult branches is brown.

The branches, curved arcuate, are covered with medium-sized green leaves with a marble color, on which white and cream blurry specks look beautiful. With the onset of autumn, these spots turn dark red or pink. The variety is characterized by an intensive growth rate.

A tall shrub with a columnar crown and a width of up to 1.2 m. An adult barberry can grow up to two meters or more. Thin long branches are distinguished by rare branching. In young bushes, the stems are colored red-brown, and in adult barberries, they are brown.

Leaves of medium size (about 2.5 cm long) are round or ovoid. The degree of illumination of the place where the bush grows significantly affects the color of the leaves. It can range from green with a reddish tint to dark purple tones.

An adult barberry can reach 2.5 m in height. Upright corrugated shoots form a dense, widely spreading crown of a spherical shape, reaching 3 m in width. The stems of young shoots are painted in bright red tones. In adult shrubs, the branches darken and turn dark red.

Shiny leaves of an ovoid or almost round shape are rather large - up to 4 cm - and a beautiful rich crimson color. A yellow edging with a pronounced golden tint runs along the edge of the leaf plate. In autumn, the border disappears, and the foliage acquires a monochromatic color of orange, deep red or crimson.

It blooms with small (about 1 cm) yellow-red flowers. Ellipsoid fruits of crimson color are edible. The variety is characterized by intensive growth: over the course of a year, the bush adds 30 cm in height and width.

Some varieties of Thunberg barberry are distinguished by a beautiful variegated color.

Slow growing variety, reaching a height of 50-55 cm. An elegant compact bush with shiny leaves has a rounded variegated crown. The thorns on the branches are smaller than those of other varieties, up to 0.5 cm long.

Spatulate leaves with a rounded top taper towards the base. Small leaves are usually pink or crimson. Multi-colored stains on the foliage give the crown a variegated look. On one bush, the streaks on the leaves can be white, red or purple.

After abundant flowering, oblong berries of a bright burgundy color ripen in autumn, firmly sitting on the stalk.

Shrub 1.2-1.5 m high has a beautiful spreading crown of a rounded shape. The blossoming leaves are red in color, which gradually brightens or darkens and later turns pink or brown. At the same time, white and gray blurred specks appear on them, which give the crown a variegation. By autumn, the foliage takes on a crimson hue.

Low shrub, reaching a height of 1 m.The crown is dense and branched, its diameter is about 1.5 m. The stems of young shoots are yellowish or red-purple in color, which in adult branches becomes purple with a brown tint.

On the burgundy-red surface of graceful rounded or spatulate leaves, white and pink blurred strokes stand out in contrast.

Abundant flowering occurs in late spring - early summer. Single yellow flowers are located along the entire length of the branch. Small (up to 1 cm) numerous fruits have the shape of an ellipse and a bright red color.

This is a relatively new variegated variety. The maximum height of an adult plant reaches 1.5 m. The upright branches are painted in a delicate salmon color. They form a dense compact crown, the diameter of which is about 1.5 m.

Small leaves have a dark purple color, against which a pattern of silver and pink splashes looks beautiful. Such foliage gives the variegated crown an unusually attractive appearance.

The shrub blooms profusely with inconspicuous small yellow flowers forming clusters of 2-5 buds.

A other varieties are also in great demand in landscape design: "Rosetta" with bright crimson leaves and marbled gray-pink stains, "Silver Beauty" with variegated silvery leaves in white-pink spots.

A separate group includes varieties of barberry with yellow leaves.

Miniature shrub, the height of which does not exceed 30-40 cm. It has a spherical (almost spherical) crown, the diameter of which is about 40 cm. Strong elastic thorns sit on the shoots of brown-yellow color.

The leaves are rather small (up to 3 cm) with a rounded blunt apex and a pointed base. They are painted in pleasant yellow tones with a golden sheen or yellow-lemon color. In summer, a red or pink edging may appear along the contour of the leaf plates.

In autumn, the color changes to orange-yellow. Blooms profusely with pale yellow flowers. In autumn, the bush is covered with numerous ripe shiny red berries.

The beautiful shrub has a dense, compact crown. Plant height - 0.8-1 m, crown width - from 1 to 1.5 m. The main branches have a vertical direction of growth, and their lateral shoots grow to the sides at a certain angle. This gives the crown a rounded shape.

The yellow-green branches are covered with solitary thorns of the same shade. The length of small graceful leaves of a rounded or spatulate shape does not exceed 3 cm.

In spring, the barberry strikes with the bright sunny yellow color of its foliage, it seems as if it emits light itself. In autumn, the color changes and takes on a golden hue with an orange or bronze tint. In October, numerous glossy dark red berries ripen, which do not crumble until spring.

The variety has a columnar crown with upright branches, and its height is about 1.5 m. As it grows, the dense and compact crown becomes spreading, almost fan-shaped. Young twigs have reddish tips.

In the spring, leaves of a round or wide ovoid shape of a very bright yellow color with a crimson-red edging bloom on the bush. In autumn, the crown changes color and becomes a rich orange-red color. Small flowers, single or collected in inflorescences of 2-6 buds, bloom in May-June. Glossy fruits are bright red in color.

The beautiful and slender varieties of barberry include several names.

The maximum plant height is 1.5 m. The pillar-shaped crown is quite wide - from 0.8 to 1 m. Small rounded leaves have a length of 1-3 cm.

Young foliage is pink with a reddish tint, which gradually takes on rich dark reds and browns with a purple tint.In summer, under the bright sun, the color of the leaves can take on a greenish tone. By autumn, the foliage turns purple-red.

The shrub blooms with rare single-spot yellow flowers.

The crown is formed by rigid vertical shoots. The maximum plant height is 1.5 m, the crown diameter is up to 50 cm. Small, rounded leaves, painted yellow with a greenish tinge, stand out brightly against the background of branches with red bark.

In the first year of life, the shoots have a rich orange-pink color, which turns red in adult branches. The crown is thick.

Flowering begins in June, somewhat later than other varieties. The flowers are light yellow. After ripening, the fruits have a beautiful coral color.

An adult bush reaches medium size: height within 1-1.5 m, crown diameter 40-50 cm. The rounded leaves are colored chocolate with a purple or purple hue. The spectacular look of the barberry is given by the contrast of unusually colored leaves against the background of branches with red stems. In May, the shrub is covered with beautiful flowers of a bright yellow hue. Ripe berries have a red color.

Like any other ornamental shrub, the Thunberg barberry is widely used in landscape design. A rich variety of varieties, various dimensions and an amazing palette of crown colors allow you to use the shrub in a variety of design options.

From high and medium-high varieties of barberry, hedges are often created, which can be given any shape. The formation of such a living fence can take 6-7 years.

Lower barberries with a colorful crown are most often planted on flower beds and ridges to decorate various compositions. They are combined with flowering plants or different types of ornamental shrubs.

Dwarf barberries are used to decorate alpine slides, rockeries and rocky gardens, to create borders.

All varieties of plants in solitary plantings look great.

Group plantings of shrubs, consisting of plants with different foliage colors, effectively decorate the landscape.

Often the Thunberg barberry is planted to decorate the banks of various reservoirs.

See the most interesting varieties of Thunberg barberry in the next video.