Berberis thunbergii
Encyclopedia
Berberis thunbergii is a species of Berberis
, native to Japan
and eastern Asia
.
Berberis thunbergii is a dense, deciduous
, spiny shrub
which grows 0.6 to 5 m (2 to 8 ft) high. It has deeply grooved, brown, spiny branches with a single (occasionally tridentine) spine (actually a highly modified leaf) at each shoot node. The leaves
are green to blue-green (reddish or purple in some horticultural variants), very small, spatula to oval shaped, 12–24 mm long and 3–15 mm broad; they are produced in clusters of 2-6 on a dwarf shoot in the axil of each spine. The flower
s are pale yellow, 5–8 mm diameter, produced in drooping 1-1.5 cm long umbrella-shaped clusters of 2–5; flowering is from mid spring to early summer. The edible fruit
is a glossy bright red to orange-red, ovoid berry
7–10 mm long and 4–7 mm broad, containing a single seed
. They mature during late summer and fall and persist through the winter.
Berberis thunbergii is widely grown as an ornamental plant
, both in Japan and elsewhere in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Numerous cultivar
s have been selected, including plants selected for yellow, dark red to violet, or variegated
foliage, erect growth (for hedge
use), and dwarf size.
This species is sometimes confused with Berberis canadensis (American barberry), Berberis vulgaris
(European barberry), and other deciduous Berberis species; it is most readily distinguished by the flowers being produced in umbel
s, not raceme
s.
in many parts of the eastern United States
. The Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group lists it among its "Least Wanted".
This Berberis is avoided by deer, and has been replacing native species. Furthermore, the plant can raise the pH of the soil and affect soil nitrogen levels. Unlike B. canadensis and B. vulgaris, B. thunbergii does not act as a host for Puccinia graminis (black rust), a rust disease
of wheat
.
Berberis
Berberis , the barberries or pepperidge bushes, is a genus of about 450-500 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from 1-5 m tall with thorny shoots, native to the temperate and subtropical regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. They are closely related to the genus...
, native to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and eastern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Berberis thunbergii is a dense, deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
, spiny shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
which grows 0.6 to 5 m (2 to 8 ft) high. It has deeply grooved, brown, spiny branches with a single (occasionally tridentine) spine (actually a highly modified leaf) at each shoot node. The leaves
Leaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
are green to blue-green (reddish or purple in some horticultural variants), very small, spatula to oval shaped, 12–24 mm long and 3–15 mm broad; they are produced in clusters of 2-6 on a dwarf shoot in the axil of each spine. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are pale yellow, 5–8 mm diameter, produced in drooping 1-1.5 cm long umbrella-shaped clusters of 2–5; flowering is from mid spring to early summer. The edible fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a glossy bright red to orange-red, ovoid berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
7–10 mm long and 4–7 mm broad, containing a single seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
. They mature during late summer and fall and persist through the winter.
Cultivation and uses
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
, both in Japan and elsewhere in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Numerous cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s have been selected, including plants selected for yellow, dark red to violet, or variegated
Variegation
Variegation is the appearance of differently coloured zones in the leaves, and sometimes the stems, of plants. This may be due to a number of causes...
foliage, erect growth (for hedge
Hedge (gardening)
A hedge or hedgerow is a line of closely spaced shrubs and tree species, planted and trained in such a way as to form a barrier or to mark the boundary of an area. Hedges used to separate a road from adjoining fields or one field from another, and of sufficient age to incorporate larger trees, are...
use), and dwarf size.
This species is sometimes confused with Berberis canadensis (American barberry), Berberis vulgaris
Berberis vulgaris
Berberis vulgaris /// is a shrub in the family Berberidaceae, native to central and southern Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia; it is also naturalised in northern Europe, including the British Isles and Scandinavia, and North America.It is a deciduous shrub growing up to 4 m high...
(European barberry), and other deciduous Berberis species; it is most readily distinguished by the flowers being produced in umbel
Umbel
An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....
s, not raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
s.
Invasive species
In recent years, Berberis canadensis has been recognized as an invasive speciesInvasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
in many parts of the eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group lists it among its "Least Wanted".
This Berberis is avoided by deer, and has been replacing native species. Furthermore, the plant can raise the pH of the soil and affect soil nitrogen levels. Unlike B. canadensis and B. vulgaris, B. thunbergii does not act as a host for Puccinia graminis (black rust), a rust disease
Rust (fungus)
Rusts are plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi of the order Pucciniales. About 7800 species are known. Rusts can affect a variety of plants; leaves, stems, fruits and seeds. Rust is most commonly seen as coloured powder, composed off tiny aeciospores which land on vegetation producing...
of wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
.
Cultivars
- Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea Nana' (aka 'Little Favourite' and 'Crimson Pygmy')
- Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea'
- Berberis thunbergii 'Bagatelle'
- Berberis thunbergii 'Bonanza Gold'
- Berberis thunbergii 'Golden Ring'
- Berberis thunbergii 'Helmond Pillar'
- Berberis thunbergii 'Red Chief'
- Berberis thunbergii 'Red Pillar'
- Berberis thunbergii 'Rose Glow'
External links
- Berberine Thoughts - Informative but non-scholarly essay on Barberry & Berberis (Culture, History and Etymology... and Thunberg).
- of North America: Berberis thunbergii (deals with the species as an introduced plant)
- US National Park Service: Berberis thunbergii (deals with the species as an invasive species)