Japanese Barberry: Accurate Identification

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- Japanese barberry is an invasive shrub first introduced into the United States in the late 1800's.

They can now be found from Maine to North Carolina and as far west as Nebraska.

Japanese barberry was historically used in fences for livestock and for herbal medicines but is now used primarily as an ornamental hedge and still sold in many nurseries and garden centers.

Japanese barberry is a compact, dense shrub rarely exceeding four feet in height.

It blooms in spring with creamy yellow six petal flowers appearing in groups of two to four.

The leaves grow in clusters and are distinctly spooned-shaped with smooth edges.

They are thick, leathery and bright green but can be tinged with red or purple and grow up to an inch in length.

Their leaves emerge earlier in spring and are held later in fall than most native deciduous forest plants.

Additionally, the fall foliage is vibrant orange.

These two traits make them simple to spot in early spring and late fall.

Also in fall, Japanese barberry is known for it's distinctive red berries which can hang singly or in clusters of up to four with each berry being about a quarter of an inch long.

Japanese barberry stems are deeply grooved and rusty brown which single spines one half inch or less in length.

The inner bark is a vibrant yellow green.

This plant colonizes a broad range of sites displacing a wide variety of native plants, especially sebaceous spring ephemerals.

And since it is highly adaptive, it can grow on sites from full sun to deep shade and from wet to dry soil conditions.

Given enough individuals in an area, their leaf litter can shift the PH of the soil making it more basic, thus further excluding many native plant species.

Also the structure of it's foliage creates a human environment favorable for ticks.

Japanese barberry spreads by both seed and vegetative means.

The berries are eaten by birds and mammals from late summer through winter, with the seed being spread to new areas in their droppings.

Individual barberry plants can spread horizontally by a process called layering.

This is when roots form where branches are in contact with the soil.

New plants created in this way survive being severed from their parent but are genetically identical.

Through layering, a single individual can become quite large.

There are two species that look similar to Japanese barberry.

Native Allegheny barberry and European barberry.

Both resemble Japanese barberry closely which the major exception being their spines.

Where Japanese barberry has single spines, the other two species produce three-pronged spines.

Allegheny barberry also has leaves with course serrations or teeth along the edges of the leaf.

Familiarize yourself with Japanese barberry identification traits in all four seasons, spring, summer, fall and winter and take appropriate control measures to stop it's spread.

Despite Japanese barberry's ornamental value, think twice before planting this invasive species.

It can quickly take over most sites, forcing out many valuable native plants and once established, it can be difficult to remove.