| Japanese barberry | USDA PLANTS Symbol: BETH U.S. Nativity: Exotic Habit: Shrub or Subshrub |
| Berberis thunbergii DC. |
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Taxonomic Rank: Magnoliopsida: Ranunculales: Berberidaceae |
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| Native Range: Japan (REHD); Not Found (BAIL); | |
Japanese barberry is a small deciduous shrub from 2-8 ft. (0.6-2.4 m) tall. The thin, grooved branches have thin, straight spines. The leaves are up to 1 in. (24 mm) long and wedge-shaped. The pale-yellow flowers occur in drooping clusters of 2-5 and develop in mid-spring to early summer. The berries ripen to a bright red color and are 1/4-1/3 in. (7-10 mm) long. Japanese barberry invades a variety of habitats from shaded woodlands to open fields and wetlands. It is very shade-tolerant and can form dense stands which shade out and displace native species. Japanese barberry is rapidly spread by birds that eat the berries thus dispersing the seeds. It is native to Asia and was first introduced into The United States in 1864 as an ornamental. It is still widely planted for landscaping and hedges. |
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Identification, Biology, Control and Management Resources
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| Selected Images from Invasive.org | View All Images at Invasive.org |
 Plant(s); September 1997 Jil M. Swearingen, USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Plant(s); April James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Plant(s); April James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Plant(s); Purple morph Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Foliage; Britt Slattery, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Stem(s); thorns and stems in April James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Foliage; fall foliage James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Foliage; Britt Slattery, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Foliage; James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Plant(s); James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Foliage; James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Flower(s); Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Fruit(s); Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Fruit(s); Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Fruit(s); Richard Old, XID Services, Inc., Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Fruit(s); Barry Rice, sarracenia.com, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Stem(s); April James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Infestation; Understory incursion. Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Seed(s); Steve Hurst, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Infestation; May Steve Manning, Invasive Plant Control, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
| EDDMapS Distribution: This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts and records obtained from USDA Plants Database. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org |
 State(s) Where Reported invasive. Based on state level agency and organization lists of invasive plants from WeedUS database. |
| Native Alternatives: | |
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Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey tea) Clethra alnifolia (coastal sweetpepperbush) Croton alabamensis (Alabama croton) Diervilla lonicera (northern bush honeysuckle) Diervilla sessilifolia (southern bush honeysuckle) Fothergilla gardenii (dwarf witchalder) Fothergilla major (mountain witchalder) Ilex verticillata (common winterberry) Itea virginica (Virginia sweetspire) Morella pensylvanica (northern bayberry) Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (coralberry) |  More Information on Native Plants at: www.beplantwise.org PlantWise is a partnership between the National Park Service, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, The Garden Club of America and The National Invasive Species Council to prevent harmful invasive plants from invading natural areas. |
