Britt Slattery, USFWS
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Japanese Barberry
Berberis thunbergii
Origin: Japan
Background
Japanese barberry was introduced to the United States as
an ornamental in 1875. Seeds were sent from Russia to the
Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1896, it was
planted at the New York Botanic Garden. It was eventually
promoted as a substitute for Berberis vulgaris, an exotic
plant introduced and used by early settlers from Europe
for hedgerows, dyes and jams, and later found to be a host
for the black stem rust of wheat.
John M. Randall, TNc
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Distribution and Ecological Threat
In the United States, Japanese barberry occurs throughout
much of New England and the Northeast, south to North
Carolina and west to Michigan and Missouri. Barberry forms
dense stands in a variety of habitats, including closed
canopy forests and open woodlands, wetlands, pastures,
meadows and wastelands. This highly shade-tolerant exotic
shrub displaces a variety of native herb and shrub species
in areas where it is well established.
Description and Biology
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Plant: a dense, deciduous shrub that grows 2 to 8 feet
high. The branches are deeply grooved, brown and
usually have simple spines.
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Leaves: 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches long and shaped like small
spatulas or narrow ovals, with a color ranging from
green to bluish-green to dark reddish purple.
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Flowers, fruits and seeds: flowering occurs from
mid-April to May in the Northeast and the fruits mature
from July to October and will persist through the
winter. The abundant pale yellow flowers occur along
the entire length of the stem. Flowers are in clusters
of two to four and produce bright red berries about 1/3
inch long.
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Spreads: by seeds eaten by small mammals and birds
(e.g. turkey and grouse) and through vegetative means.
Prevention and Control
Do not plant Japanese barberry. Small plants can be pulled
by hand, using thick gloves to avoid injury from the
spines. A weed wrench ® can be used to uproot older
shrubs when soil is moist. Shrubs can also be mowed or cut
repeatedly. Treatment with systemic herbicides like
glyphosate and triclopyr has been effective.
Native Alternatives
sweet pepperbush (Clethra
alnifolia)
USFWS
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spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Chris Miller, NRCS
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highbush blueberry
(Vaccinium corymbosum)
Britt Slattery, USFWS
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northern bayberry (Myrica
pensylvanica)
Chris Miller, NRCS
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swamp rose (Rosa palustris)
Chris Miller, NRCS
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pasture rose (Rosa carolina)
R. Harrison Wiegand
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