Barberry is an evergreen, as well as deciduous, prickly, fruit-bearing shrub with whole-shaped leaves arranged alternately. Spines can be simple, three-toed, five-toed, grow at the base of the kidneys. Flowering begins at the end of May and continues until July-August. The flowers are small, yellow, fragrant. Fruits (red, purple or black) in most members of the family are edible (contain a large amount of vitamins, as well as amino acids).
One of the most beloved deciduous plants by gardeners is the Thunberg barberry. Planting and caring for it are quite simple, so many choose it for landscaping. Particularly interesting is a species of shrub that has a height of about a meter and long (about 1 cm) simple hard thorns. In autumn, the leaves are a bright red-purple color. Deep red fruitsshiny, unsuitable for food and do not fall off for a long time.
Barberry Thunberg. Landing and care. Some cultivation features
- Location: well-lit or semi-shady areas.
- Thunberg barberry is frost resistant.
- It is also resistant to most diseases and parasites. It has many decorative subspecies.
- Reproduction is carried out by seeds, cuttings, branches, dividing the bush.
Barberry Thunberg. Landing and care. Shrub pruning
Shrub pruning plays a very important role. It is carried out in the spring before the buds have blossomed. Cut off from a quarter to half the length of the shoot, you should also remove the branches that thicken the bush, frozen in winter, dried shoots.
If the shrub will serve as a hedge, then pruning is done only from the second year after planting. Cut off half or 2/3 of the part of the plant that is above the ground. Further pruning should be done every year in early June and early August.
Short barberry varieties can not be cut. They are great for zoning a personal plot.
Barberry Thunberg. Varieties for hedges and other plantings
Many barberries are suitable for hedge decoration, especially slow-growing, short ones.
- Atropurpures: Can grow up to 2m tall with bright red or purple leaves. Grows well in sunny placescalmly tolerates frosts, not moisture-loving. You can use this variety as planting material for hedges, flower beds as a flower arrangement.
- Darts Red Lady: spherical crown, plant height up to 1.5 m, rich red-purple leaves. In early May, the Thunberg barberry begins to bloom. A photo of flower beds against their background will look especially elegant if you want to capture your creativity on the camera.
- Red Chief: fast growing, spreading crown shape with falling shoots. It reaches a height of about 2 m. The leaves are purple or brownish in color, purple prevails in autumn.
That's all that Thunberg's barberry requires from you. Planting and caring for the plant is simple enough that your area around the house can be planted with it and other shrubs and flowers that will look harmonious with each other.
