Barberry

Barberry: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Dense shrub of 1–3 m with upright branches that arch over at the top.

Leaf

In tufts on short side shoots, 2–5 cm, obovate, with a finely bristle-toothed edge.

Twigs

Grooved, yellowish twigs with mostly three-pronged spines; wood and inner bark bright yellow.

Flower

Hanging clusters of small, scented yellow flowers in May; the stamens snap inwards when an insect touches them.

Fruit

Elongated, scarlet berries (about 1 cm) in hanging clusters, in September–October; sour, but edible.

Difference from Japanese barberry

Japanese barberry has single spines, untoothed leaf edges and flowers single or in pairs.

Flowering: May–June · Harvest and fruit: September–November · Pruning: June–July

Identify by feature: Yellow flowers in spring · Hanging flower clusters · Red berries · Thorns or prickles

Looks like it, but isn’t

• Japanese barberry Berberis thunbergii: single spines, untoothed leaf edges and flowers single or in pairs. Difference from Japanese barberry

Why grow it?

• Scented clusters of yellow flowers in May and red berries in autumn.
• Thorny and dense: a safe nesting site for birds and a hedge nobody can get through.
• A rare native shrub for dry, chalky soil.
• Edible, sour berries for jam, syrup or Persian cooking.

Barberry: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; in sun it flowers best and bears the most berries.
• Dry, chalky, free-draining soil; no wet feet.
• Allow 2 m width.
• Not next to a cereal field (see the warning).

Light

Sun or partial shade

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Dry

Size

2.5 m tall, 2 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Blackthorn: Another thorny native shrub: together an impenetrable hedge.
• Dog rose: Rose hips next to the red berries: together a thorny thicket full of food for birds.
• Wayfaring-tree: For the same dry, chalky soil, with white flower heads shortly after the yellow flowers.

Good and bad companions

Goes well with

• Suits the woodland edge or the light shade of: ginkgo, box elder, ash, honey locust, field maple, silver maple

Barberry: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant from November to March, bare-root or root-balled.
2. In a mixed hedge: one plant per metre, among other native shrubs.
3. Plant at the same depth as before and firm the soil.
4. Wear thick gloves and long sleeves, and water in dry spells during the first year.

Care

Watering

Only in dry spells during the first year; after that it copes well with dry summers.

Feeding

Not needed.

Harvesting

Pick the berries in October, when they are fully red and soft; wear gloves.

Prunings

Clear them up straight away: the spines stay sharp in the lawn for a long time.

Tip: Keep some berries for yourself: dried, they add a fresh, sour note to rice, couscous or salads, as in Persian cooking.

Barberry: when to prune it?

Pruning months: June–July.

When: After flowering (June–July).

How:

• Needs little pruning; thin out old branches at the base.
• Every few years, saw out one or two of the oldest branches so that young shoots can come through.
• Wear thick gloves and use long-handled loppers.

Caution: June–July falls in the nesting season: check for nesting birds in the shrub before you prune.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Sowing

Sow the seeds from ripe berries outdoors in autumn; they germinate in spring.

Cuttings

Semi-ripe cuttings of 10–15 cm root in summer under glass or plastic.

Barberry: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Fully hardy.
• The red berries often last into winter, as food for birds.

Diseases and pests

• Berberis sawfly: In summer, black-spotted larvae eat the leaves, sometimes until the shrub is bare. Pick them off or let the birds do the work; the shrub will leaf out again.
• Rust: In spring, small orange spots with tiny cups on the underside of the leaves: the barberry stage of black stem rust. The shrub itself is hardly affected.
• Wet soil: On wet soil, branches or the whole shrub die back. Plant it in a dry, free-draining spot.

Through the year

• March: Last month to plant bare-root shrubs.
• May: Flowering: scented yellow clusters full of bees.
• June: Prune after flowering; check for nests first.
• July: Last pruning month; watch for sawfly larvae.
• September: The berries turn red.
• October: Pick the berries for jam or syrup.
• November: Plant bare-root shrubs.

What can you use it for?

Garden and landscape

Thorny, native shrub for a mixed hedge on dry, chalky soil.

For wildlife

Flowers for bees, berries for birds; a dense nesting site.

Food and drink

The sour berries can be used in jam and syrup and, dried, in Persian cooking.

Caution: Alternate host of black stem rust of cereals: do not plant it next to cereal fields.

Edible and useful

Berries (September–November)

Pick the berries in September and October, when they are fully scarlet and slightly softer; after a light frost they taste a touch milder. Cut off whole clusters and wear sturdy gloves and long sleeves: the three-pronged thorns prick deeply. Raw, the berries are very sour: use them sparingly, cooked or dried.

Storing

Fresh berries keep for a week in the fridge; clusters or loose berries can be frozen. Dry them (see recipe) and keep them in a closed jar: that is how Persian cooking uses them all year round. Jelly keeps for a year in sterilised jars.

Caution: Only the ripe, bright red berries are edible, and then only in moderation: they are very sour. The bark, roots and leaves contain alkaloids such as berberine: do not eat any of them and do not make tea from them. Wear gloves against the thorns. Do not confuse the elongated berries in hanging clusters with poisonous red berries such as those of spindle, yew or cotoneaster. Ornamental barberries in gardens may have been sprayed: only use berries from a bush you know. Pick away from busy roads, not in nature reserves, and never eat anything you have not identified with certainty.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Dried barberries (Dried · ± 120 g dried berries · 20 min + 8–12 hrs drying)
• Rice with barberries (Dish · 4 people · 1 hr)
• Barberry jelly (Jelly · ± 4 jars of 250 ml · 1 hr + 1 night draining)
• Barberry cake (Dish · 1 loaf tin of 25 cm (± 10 slices) · 1 hr 15 min)

Did you know?

• Barberry is the alternate host of black stem rust of cereals; that is why it was once grubbed out on a large scale around fields.
• Its wood and inner bark are bright yellow: they were once used to dye wool, leather and wood.
• Touch the stamens of an open flower with a blade of grass: they snap inwards and dab pollen onto the ‘insect’.