Paleleaf barberry

Paleleaf barberry: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Dense, domed cushion 50–60 cm high and up to 1 m wide, with arching shoots. Slow growing.

Leaves

Elliptic, 2–3 cm, glossy dark green with a few spiny teeth on the margin; silvery white beneath. Evergreen.

Flowers

Single, rounded, bright yellow flowers about 1.5 cm across, in May.

Fruit

Oval blue-black berries with a grey bloom, in late summer and autumn.

Spines

In threes at each node, 1–2 cm long and sharp.

Flowering: May · Plants: April–May and September–October · Pruning: June

Why grow it?

• Green all year, with a silvery white flash when the wind turns the leaves over.
• Bright yellow flowers in May, popular with bees and bumblebees.
• A dense, low ground cover for banks and awkward spots.
• Very hardy and happy in dry to moderately moist soil.
• Slow growing and compact: very little pruning.
• The prickly shoots form a natural barrier along an edge.

Paleleaf barberry: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; it flowers most freely in full sun.
• Any free-draining soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Dry to moderately moist; it will not tolerate standing water in winter.
• As ground cover, 60–80 cm between plants, about 2–3 plants per m².

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.6 m tall, 1 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Blue fescue: A small blue-grey grass that echoes the silvery white leaf undersides.
• Lavender: Purple flowers in summer, after the barberry has finished.
• Catmint: A loose blue haze beside the compact, dark cushion.
• Cranesbill: An easy ground cover for the same sun or partial shade.

Paleleaf barberry: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September–October.

1. Plant in April–May or September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Clear the ground thoroughly of weeds first: weeding between the prickly shoots is hard later on.
3. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in some compost.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil well.
5. Water thoroughly straight away.
6. Mulch between the plants with wood chips or bark until they cover the ground.

Care

Water

In dry spells during the first year; after that only in prolonged drought.

Feeding

A little compost around the plants in March; no more is needed.

Weeding

Keep the ground weed-free for the first two years, until the shrubs knit together.

Mulching

A layer of wood chips between young plants suppresses weeds and keeps moisture in.

Gloves

Always wear sturdy gloves: the spines are sharp.

Tip: Remove every weed root before planting and mulch until the cushions meet: once they close up, you have a maintenance-free ground cover for years.

Paleleaf barberry: when to prune it?

Pruning months: June.

When: Pruning is hardly needed. To keep it in shape, trim lightly after flowering, in June.

How:

• Cut shoots that stick out back inside the cushion, just above a leaf.
• Remove dead or damaged twigs back to healthy wood.
• Rejuvenate an old, bare shrub by removing a few of the oldest stems at the base.

Caution: Do not prune in autumn: you would remove next year’s flower buds.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings

In August–September, 8–10 cm cuttings with a heel, in a sandy cutting mix in a cold frame. They root slowly; plant them out the following spring.

Seed

In autumn, sow seed from ripe berries in a tray outdoors: winter cold is needed for germination. Seedlings may differ slightly from the parent.

Paleleaf barberry: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Very hardy, to about −20 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• In hard frost with cold wind some leaves may turn brown; it simply reshoots in spring.
• In a pot or trough it can stay outdoors; just make sure water drains away freely.

Diseases and pests

• Berberis sawfly: Greyish-white larvae with black spots strip the leaves in summer. Pick them off, wearing gloves, as soon as you see them.
• Weeds in the cushion: Grasses and weeds grow through the cushion and are hard to remove. Plant in weed-free soil and mulch until the shrubs close up.
• Root rot: Yellow leaves and dying shoots on wet, heavy soil. Move it to a free-draining spot.
• Bare centre: Old plants open up. Remove a few old stems at the base or replace them with young plants.

Through the year

• March: Weed between young plants. Add a little compost.
• April: Plant. Apply mulch.
• May: In flower. Bees and bumblebees.
• June: Light trim after flowering.
• July: Watch for berberis sawfly. Water in dry weather.
• August: Take semi-ripe cuttings.
• September: Plant. Blue-black berries.
• October: Plant. Sow seed outdoors in a tray.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The species name candidula means ‘whitish’ and refers to the white undersides of the leaves.
• The stamens of barberry flowers snap inwards when an insect touches them, dusting it with pollen.
• Barberry spines are modified leaves; the true leaves grow in tufts just above them.