Plant of the week – Berberis julianae is a new acquaintance to me. I doubt I would have noticed if it wasn’t the abundance of yellow flowers. As I didn’t have a clue what this shrub was all about, most certainly not the name, I had to use a search engine to find out more. That it was a Berberis shrub was very unexpected. I thought perhaps it was some kind of obscure Mahonia
Plant of the week – Berberis julianae
When I took these photos I didn’t pay attention to the thorns, saw them later at closer inspection. They are rather mean looking (see last photo). Berberis is generally a good hedge plant if your aim is to keep out intruders. With this one, you take things a step further. Another distinguishing feature is that it’s evergreen (wintergreen). It’s commonly known as wintergreen barberry.
Native to central China, the plant is often found used for ornamental purposes in many other regions. You can understand why, it’s an attractive ingredient in a garden design scheme. The evergreen dark green leaves are appealing, as are the yellow flowers and dark blue berries. This display in early spring is always welcome.
It grows in most types of well-drained soil and likes sun or partial shade. A sunny location encourages fruiting. This barberry is low maintenance and suitable for coastal regions. Pruning takes place in mid to late spring when required. Do take care, however, those thorns are not to be messed with.
