The Barberry (Berberis Julianae) is a dense, upright, fast growing evergreen shrub which creates an excellent, impenetrable hedge. With long thorny, glossy heavily spined alternatively arranged leaves, dark green above, pale green beneath. Alongside clusters of small yellow flowers, which are sometimes red tinged at the edges in spring and followed by edible, bloomy, blue-black egg-shaped fruits in autumn.
The Berberis Julianae is suitable for all positions and soils, in particular shade with moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soils. It is tolerant of pruning, but looks best with natural growth.
The Berberis Julianae has been awarded the RHS AGM (award of Garden Merit). For hedging, trim after flowering. For hedges 4-7ft (1.2-2.1m), plant 1.5-2ft (45-60cm) apart. The stems can be thinned out in late winter so the plant maintains a tidy form - remove one in five stems to the base. You can also cut off any dead or diseased branches in mid-summer. The leaves have spiny margins, so this shrub is ideal for planting on boundaries to deter potential.
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