Barberry is an evergreen, as well as deciduous prickly fruit bearing shrubs that have whole-shaped leaves, located next to each other. Spines can be simple, three-fingered, five-fingered, grow at the base of the kidneys. Flowering begins in late May and lasts until July-August. The flowers are small, yellow, fragrant. Fruits (red, purple or black) in most members of the family are edible (contain large amounts of vitamins, as well as amino acids).
One of the favorite gardeners of deciduous plants is Thunberg barberry. Planting and caring for it are quite simple, so many people choose it for landscaping. Particularly interesting is the height of about a meter and long (about 1 cm) simple hard thorns a variety of shrubs. In autumn, the leaves are bright red-purple. The fruits are saturated red, shiny, unsuitable for food and do not fall for a long time.
Barberry of Thunberg. Landing and care. Some features of growing
- Location: well-lit or semi-shady places.
- Thunberg barberry is resistant to frost.
- It is resistant to most diseases and parasites. It has many decorative subspecies.
- Reproduction is carried out by seeds, cuttings, branches, division of the bush.
Barberry of Thunberg. Landing and care. Shrub pruning
Shrub pruning plays a very important role . Spend it in the spring before the buds open. Cut from a quarter to half the length of the shoot, you should also remove the branches that thicken the bush, frost-bitten in winter, dried shoots.
If the shrub performs the function of a hedge, then pruning is done only starting from the second year from the moment of planting. Cut off half or 2/3 of the part of the plant that is above the surface of the earth. Further trimming should be done every year in early June and early August.
Varieties of barberries from undersized can not be cut. They are great for zoning a personal plot.
Barberry of Thunberg. Varieties for hedges and other plantings
Many barberries, especially slow-growing, stunted ones, are suitable for decorating a hedge.
- Atropurpures: can reach 2 m in height, has bright red or crimson leaves. It grows well in sunny places, calmly tolerates frosts, not moisture-loving. This variety can be used as planting material for hedges, flower beds as a flower arrangement.
- Darts Red Lady: crown of spherical shape, plant height reaches 1.5 m, the leaves are saturated red-crimson. In early May, the Thunberg barberry begins to bloom. Photos of flower beds against their background will look especially elegant if you want to capture your work on a camera.
- Red Chief: fast-growing, crown-shaped - leafy with flowering shoots. It reaches a height of about 2 m. The leaves have a purple or brownish color, in the autumn the scarlet prevails.
That's all that Thunberg’s barberry requires from you. Planting and caring for the plant is quite simple, so your site around the house can be landscaped with them and other shrubs and flowers that will look harmonious with each other.