Photo: MPF, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Shrub · Berberidaceae

Warty barberry

Berberis verruculosa

In other languages: Berberis (Nederlands) · Berbéris (Français)

Berberis verruculosa is a compact, evergreen barberry from the mountains of western China. It slowly forms a dense, rounded shrub about 1 m high and 1.5 m wide, with small glossy dark green leaves that are white underneath. In May–June it bears golden-yellow flowers, singly or in pairs, followed by blue-black, bloomy berries. The young shoots are covered in tiny warts, which give the plant its name. Gardeners use it for low, prickly hedges, as an edging along a path or as an evergreen shrub at the front of a border.

Caution: The shoots carry sharp spines and the leaf margins prick: wear sturdy gloves when pruning and do not plant it right beside a path or a play area.

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Sun or partial shade
preferably some sun
Moisture
Dry to normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Sand, loam or clay
any pH
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -20 °C
Size
1 m
tall, 1.5 m wide
Flowering
May–June

Key facts
Pruning months	June–July
Height	1 m
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous
Flowering	May–June

Identify

Warty barberry: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Dense, rounded shrub about 1 m high and 1.5 m wide, with arching shoots. Slow growing.
Leaves: Elliptic, 1.5–2.5 cm, stiff and glossy dark green with a few spiny teeth; white underneath. Evergreen; a few leaves turn red in autumn.
Flowers: Golden-yellow, cup-shaped flowers 1.5 cm across, singly or in pairs, in May–June.
Fruit: Oval blue-black berries with a blue-grey bloom, in autumn.
Shoots: Brown young twigs covered in small warts, with three sharp spines at each node.

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

In your garden

Why grow it?

Green and glossy all year, with a white flash from the leaf undersides.
Golden-yellow flowers in May–June that attract bees and bumblebees.
Ideal for a low, dense hedge that needs little clipping.
In autumn and winter a few older leaves turn red among the green.
Very hardy and happy in dry to moderately moist soil.
The spines keep cats and unwanted visitors at bay.

Warty barberry: where does it grow best?

Sun or partial shade; in sun it is densest and flowers best.
Any free-draining soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
Dry to moderately moist; avoid standing water in winter.
As a single shrub allow 1–1.5 m; for a low hedge, 40–50 cm between plants.

Light: Sun and partial shade
Soil type: Sand, loam or clay
Acidity: Not fussy
Moisture: Dry or normal
Size: 1 m tall, 1.5 m wide
Hardiness: Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

Cranesbill: Airy pink and blue flowers in front of the dark hedge.
Lady’s mantle: A soft yellow edging at the foot of the shrub.
Ice plant: Flat flower heads in late summer, when the barberry stays quietly green.
Tulip: Colourful spring flowers in front, before the barberry blooms.

Maintenance

Warty barberry: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September–October.

Plant in April–May or September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball, or a 40 cm wide trench for a hedge, and mix in some compost.
Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil well.
Water thoroughly straight away.
Mulch around the base with wood chips or leaf mould.

Care

Water: In dry spells during the first year; after that only in prolonged drought.
Feeding: Some compost or organic shrub fertiliser in March.
Mulching: A layer of wood chips keeps weeds down between young hedging plants.
Hedge: Clipping once a year after flowering is enough to keep it neat.
Gloves: Wear sturdy gloves: the spines and leaf teeth are prickly.

Tip: Clip a hedge of this barberry only once a year, straight after flowering: it stays dense and flowers freely again the following year.

Warty barberry: when to prune it?

Pruning months: June–July.

When: After flowering, in late June or July. A free-standing shrub needs little pruning.

How:

Clip a hedge to shape after flowering, keeping the base slightly wider than the top.
On a free-standing shrub, just shorten shoots that stick out.
Remove dead or damaged twigs back to healthy wood.
Rejuvenate an old, bare shrub by removing a few old stems at the base.

Caution: Do not prune in autumn or winter: you would remove the flower buds for the following spring.

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: cold is needed for germination. Seedlings may differ from the parent.

Warty barberry: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

Very hardy, to about −20 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
A cold, dry easterly wind can brown a few leaves; it simply reshoots in spring.
In a pot or trough it can stay outdoors, provided 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.
Root rot: Yellow leaves and dying shoots on wet, heavy soil. Move it to a free-draining spot.
Bare base: A hedge that is wider at the top than at the bottom becomes bare below. Clip it to a slightly tapered shape.
Weeds in the hedge: Grass and weeds among the prickly shoots are awkward to remove. Plant in weed-free soil and mulch.

Through the year

March: Add compost or organic fertiliser. Weed.
April: Plant. Apply mulch.
May: In flower. Bees and bumblebees.
June: End of flowering. Clip the hedge.
July: Last clipping. Watch for berberis sawfly.
August: Take semi-ripe cuttings.
September: Plant. Blue-black berries.
October: Plant. Sow seed outdoors in a tray.
November: A few leaves turn red.

Use

Good for wildlife

Bees: Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

You and this species

Did you know?

The species name verruculosa means ‘covered in small warts’ and refers to the warty young shoots.
Barberry wood and roots are bright yellow; they were once used to dye wool and leather yellow.
When an insect touches the stamens, they snap inwards and dust it with pollen.

Garden plants · All species