Preferred common name: Japanese barberry
 The RHS Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a species of Berberis, native to Japan and eastern Asia. It is a compact and slow growing, but ideal for low and prickly hedges. The dense prickly deciduous hedge thrives with masses of small flowers in spring followed by bright edible berries in autumn.
The leaves of the Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) are a smooth, fresh green to blue-green, very small, spatula to oval shaped; they are produced in clusters of 2-6 on a dwarf shoot in the axil of each spin, which then turn into an unsurpassable brilliant red in autumn. It has pale yellow flowers in spring and red, jewel like fruits drip from their branches in late autumn. It should be trimmed after flowering.
The RHS Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) hedge is a tough, easy to grow hedging plant that does well in any soil condition and any position, in particular coastal, sun or partial shade.
This plant needs little regular pruning, however to renoate old plants, remove the oldest stems at the base and cut back all branches to healthy young shoots in the late winter.
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