A beautiful ornamental shrub - barberry - will give your backyard a magical and unique look from spring, when its yellow flowers bloom with a delicate aroma, until late autumn, when clusters of bright red fruits are amazingly combined with orange leaves. And if we add to this also high medicinal properties, then planting a barberry bush is a settled issue. This plant is easy to care for and makes a great hedge.
Description of the plant
The name of this original ornamental bush comes from the Arabic beriberi, which means shell. The flower petals really remind her. The barberry plant is distinguished by branching, thorns and bark of a light brown color. The size of the bush can reach a height of 3.5 m. The rhizomes are lignified, creeping. Shoots with edges - straight, yellow, later they will turn gray-white. Leaves appear on shorter shoots from budsup to 4 cm long, thin, elliptical or obovate. Longer shoots develop from three to five spines up to 2 cm long.
In the spring, in late April and early May, fragrant clusters of yellow flowers appear on the plant. Their number can reach up to 25 pieces. By the end of September, the bush bears fruit with bright red or purple fruits of an oblong shape. Barberry has seeds up to 7 mm long, narrowed and flattened in its upper part.
Distribution and ecology
Before, barberry could only be found in Europe, Transcaucasia and Western Asia. He preferred the forest-steppe zone with sufficient lighting and dry soil. It was also possible to meet him in the mountains, at an altitude of up to 2 km. What does a barberry bush look like growing in the wild? The plant has a rather unsightly appearance. Today, due to the fact that a huge number of varieties have been bred, the ornamental barberry bush cannot be found except in the Arctic or Antarctica.
Useful properties
Except for ripe berries, all other parts of the plant contain the alkaloid berberine. The roots also contain other alkaloids: oxyacanthin, iatrorricin, palmatin, columbamine. There are many tannins and aromatic resins in the bark, vitamin K in the leaves. Ripe fruits contain carotenoids - lutein, flavoxanthin, xanthophyll, etc., as well as sugars, malic acid, pectins.
Even in ancient Russia, roots, branches and bark insisted on alcohol to stop the flow of blood from wounds and relieve inflammation. Barberry is the perfect antibiotic, gifted tonature, which treated various colds. An infusion of fruits strengthened the immune system, supported the liver. And in ancient Rome, it was believed that the barberry brings happiness and good luck, so it was protected in every possible way.
In modern official medicine, tincture of alcohol from the leaves is used in gynecology to stop uterine bleeding and inhibit inflammation. Berberine is used to treat major liver and gallbladder problems. An aqueous infusion of the fruit relieves attacks of malaria due to its strong diaphoretic properties. With rheumatism, it helps to soothe pain.
Use of barberry
The most widely used berries in cooking: juices and fruit drinks, jams and jellies. And add dried berry powder to meat sauce, and you won’t drag your relatives from the plate by the ears. In Central Asia, pilaf is not cooked without barberry, and the peoples of the Caucasus add it to horseradish.
Due to its sour taste, barberry can replace vinegar. And immature pickled fruits can perfectly replace capers. Tincture and decoction are used in veterinary medicine as a hemostatic agent for various wounds in animals.
Barberry and pregnancy
Unfortunately, in an interesting situation, you should completely refuse to eat both the berries themselves and various tinctures. Due to the alkaloids contained in the plant, a miscarriage is possible. Also, in pregnant women, the fetuses can provoke the formation of blood clots.
However, a small amount of meat sauce containing barberry will not do harm, so if it is veryIf you want, then eat to your he alth. Just do not forget that everything should be in moderation.
How and where to plant barberries
Planting a barberry bush begins with choosing a location. This plant prefers open areas well lit by the sun. And for species that belong to the Central Asian, you need to select a place so that there are no drafts. The soil requirements of the barberry bush are as follows: loam or well-dried soils, because the plant does not like waterlogging.
Planting a barberry bush in the place allotted for it for growth is carried out in the spring, before the buds begin to bloom, but planting is also possible in the fall, when the leaves begin to actively crumble. Before planting in the pit, add a mixture of humus, earth and sand (in equal proportions). The depth should be 25-30 cm for 2-3 year old seedlings and 40-50 for 5-7 year olds. If you plan to make a hedge, then you need to plant bushes in a trench. If the soil in your area is acidic, for example, peat, then under the bushes you need to add wood ash 200 g, lime or dolomite flour - 300-400 g. From fertilizers, only 100 g of superphosphate will be needed.
How to care for a barberry bush
If you have planted barberry bushes, caring for them will be easy. If the site for planting was initially chosen correctly, and the soil was provided with good aeration, then the roots will be he althy and will be able to breathe. Just sometimes you need to loosen the soil and remove the weeds.
In the spring, at the beginning of the season or immediately after flowering, you need to prune the barberry. bush shearingcarried out annually. This action is directed to the formation of a lush crown and the removal of weak and diseased shoots. And do not forget about the sharp barberry thorns during care. The next year after planting in the spring, be sure to feed your barberry with nitrogen fertilizer. The size of the bush and its lush flowering will thank you for such care. Feeding should be repeated every three years.
Basic breeding techniques for barberry
There are four main ways to propagate barberry in your area: dividing the bush, planting with layering, summer cuttings and seeds.
- Seeds should be sown in the fall. Squeeze freshly picked fruits, rinse with running water and dry. They need to be placed at a depth of no more than one centimeter. The soil at the same time should be loose, and the landing site should be well warmed up by the sun. By summer, the plant will delight you with friendly shoots. But it is better to transplant a barberry bush in a year.
- The plant propagates easily from summer cuttings. Just plant the right amount of them in the soil in June and you'll have enough material to plant in a couple of years.
- Dividing the bush is another way of reproduction. In this case, the main bush is carefully dug up so as not to damage the root system, and cut into several parts. If the roots are very thick, they are simply cut along and the resulting parts are seated in new holes, moistening them abundantly before planting.
- Layers are made in the spring from young and he althy branches. Grooves are dug around the bush, into which the selected branches fit. There they are fixed andsprinkled with earth so that only one top remains outside. The entire season, the layers are well watered, and in the fall you will have bushes ready for planting.
Pests and diseases
Although the ornamental barberry bush is quite resistant to both fungal diseases and pests, it is also susceptible to them. Of the fungal infections, anthracnose and powdery mildew are most common. In the first case, the disease manifests itself as round brown spots on the leaves, in the second - white, as if sprinkled with flour, bloom on branches, leaves and flowers. Fungal infection is the first sign of excess water. Fungicides are used for treatment, and the affected parts are pruned to be burned.
Barberry is a plant that is an intermediate host of such a scourge of agriculture as a rust fungus that infects cereals. That is why its cultivation near the fields of rye and wheat is unacceptable. The only exception is the Thunberg barberry, which is not susceptible to rust infection. When the disease occurs, orange spots with pads on the underside are visible on the leaves, in which spores ripen in large numbers. They spread to cereals, both wild and cultivated, with the help of wind.
Another disease is caused by a fungus from the genus Fusarium. Infection occurs through the roots, which rot, and the fungus rises through the vessels along the branches, causing the bush to wilt. If you cut a branch, you can see the rings of brown vessels.
From insects the mosta common pest is the barberry aphid. Its presence can be seen by wrinkled and dried leaves. You can get rid of aphids with a solution of laundry soap (300 g per bucket of water). The moth caterpillar eats the berries. If they appear, treat the barberry with "Chlorophos" or "Decis".
The most common types of barberry
Very unpretentious in the care of Berberis vulgaris, or common barberry, whose height can reach two or more meters. The leaves are dark green and the flowers are a brilliant yellow. The fruits are quite edible, juicy, with a sour taste, painted in a bright red color.
If severe frosts are in your region, then this species is for you. It tolerates frost well and survives drought well. It can be propagated by seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings. Need a hedge so no one gets through? Barberry ordinary will help with this. However, take care of your bushes from excess moisture, this species is very susceptible to diseases caused by fungi.
The plant has many varieties:
- Atropurpurea - barberry bush, photo of which is shown below, with red leaves.
- Aureomarginata - a plant bordered by a golden line.
- Albovariegata with variegated leaves.
When propagating original varieties, it should be borne in mind that when planting with seeds, only part of the plants will retain their varietal characteristics.
Berberis canadensis, or Canadian barberry, as the name implies, came outfrom North America. It differs from its European counterpart in greater spreading. Frost and drought resistant. It is mainly used for landscaping in the Americas, so it is extremely rare in Russia.
Berberis thunbergii, or Thunberg's barberry, is native to China and Japan. This is a small shrub up to a meter high, but in diameter it can reach one and a half meters. The shoots are covered with small spines very densely. The flowers are reddish-yellow in color, collected 2-4 pieces in small inflorescences. But the berries are unsuitable for food because of their bitter taste, although birds eat them with great pleasure.
Unlike European and American counterparts, Thunberg's barberry practically does not suffer from fungal diseases, including rust. It is easy to propagate it both by seeds and by dividing the bush; cuttings also easily pass. This species has more than 50 varieties that differ in the original color of the leaves, their shape and size. If you meet an unusually colored barberry bush, the photo of which will interest you, most likely it is Thunberg.
Berberis x ottawiensis, or Ottawa barberry, is a cross between red barberry and Thunberg. The main difference is the dark purple obovate leaves. When autumn comes, they turn deep red. Beautiful brushes of yellow with a reddish tinge of flowers, which are collected in 8-10 pieces, bloom at the end of May. From its "parents" the plant acquired all the best - the beauty of color, unpretentiousness and immunity to fungal diseases.
Berberis koreana, or Korean barberry, whose bush height reaches two meters, has large obovate leaves, leathery to the touch. In autumn they turn purple-red. The plant is native to the Korean Peninsula. The flowers are collected in long racemes of 15-20 pieces, and the smell is very strong. Barberry is very unpretentious in care and resistant to frost. Only in windy cold winters can its tops freeze slightly. But he will not like thaws, during this period the humidity is very high for him, and this plant, as you know, is very susceptible to rust.
Berberis integerrima, or whole-edge barberry, came to our household plots from Central Asia, where it grows at an altitude of up to 2500 meters above sea level. The height of the shrub can reach two and a half meters. The spines are small, one and a half centimeters long, and the leaves with a solid edge are painted in a grayish-green tone. Up to 20 yellow flowers can be collected in inflorescences, and the fruits are maroon with a bluish bloom. The entire barberry bush does not like acidic soil. Planting and caring for it is quite simple. Mature plants survive even the most severe winter, but young plants can freeze, but they easily tolerate pruning and grow back quickly.
Berberis sphaerocarpa, or spherical barberry (otherwise known as multi-legged), came to us in home gardens from the mountains of Central Asia. The shrub can reach 2.5 meters in height, very sprawling, with gray-green leaves finely serrated along the edge. Collected by5-10 flowers of the inflorescence are very fragrant. The fruit with a bluish bloom is colored dark blue.
The population of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan constantly use berries in cooking, add them to barbecue sauce and shurpa. The fruits are an excellent remedy for scurvy, as they are very rich in ascorbic acid.
This species is very unpretentious in care, tolerates even extreme heat and a long drought. It tolerates frosty winters well, but young shoots may suffer, so it is better to cover them. But excessive moisture can lead to the disease of the spherical barberry, it is especially susceptible to rust. Plant it in a place that is not blown by through winds, and the soil is dry and not acidic, and you will enjoy delicious fruits and a beautiful appearance. Propagated best by cuttings and seeds.
Berberis nummularia, or coined barberry, came to us from the steppes of Central and North Asia. Shrub very branched up to 2 meters high. The reddish branches are covered with very large spines up to 3 cm long. The bluish-green leaves are very hard, entire, oblong-elliptical in shape. Large flowers of bright yellow color are collected in brushes. Ripe oval berries are bright red. Up to 3-4 years of age, the barberry is subject to frostbite, after which it recovers for a long time. It does not like highly moist soil, as it is very susceptible to fungal diseases. But drought, even strong and prolonged, is not afraid. The soil he needs is light, not acidic.
Amur barberry comes from the Far East. In the wild, it prefers to settle on the river coast and forest edges. Outwardly, it is not much different from the ordinary Amur barberry, whose height can reach 3.5 m. Large, serrated glossy green leaves turn either yellow or purple in autumn.
