A spiny deciduous shrub from Asia and Europe with tart red berries and brilliant fall color, widely planted in hedges but invasive in parts of North America.
Description
Barberry bears small oval leaves on arching thorny stems. Yellow flowers in spring give way to clusters of bright red elongated berries, and the foliage turns scarlet or orange in autumn.
Cultivation
Easy and adaptable, barberry tolerates drought, poor soil, and pruning. Several Asian species are now banned in some states for spreading aggressively.
Uses
Persian and Iranian cuisines use dried barberries in pilafs and stews. Bark and root contain berberine, used traditionally as a bitter tonic. Many cultivars are grown for foliage color.
Find more plants by letter
Barberry starts with B and ends with Y. Browse other plants along the same letter.
Plants that contain a letter from "Barberry":