Hedging Plants - Berberis
Name commonly called Bayberry
Description and uses Clothed in masses of rich orange flowers from May to late June followed by berries which can be used in jam but are difficult to pick because of the intensely spiny nature of the plant! However, they are an important food for many small birds, which disperse the seeds in their droppings. Berberis is a dense colourful and fast growing evergreen hedge with bright, shiny, very prickly holly-like, dark green leaves once established it is almost impregnable by deer and other livestock, let alone people. As a result they are also invaluable in crime prevention; making effective barriers impenetrable to burglars. For this reason they are often planted below potentially vulnerable windows, and used as hedges and other barriers. New foliage tends to come through tinged with red and turns green with age and in some cultivars is purple with white or pink splotches when new. The plant will sometimes break into a second autumn flowering. It is shade tolerant but will not produce great displays of flower in shady conditions. Its a great plant for exposed and windy conditions, coping well with coastal areas and liking a chalky soil.
Maintenance and problems Trim after flowering. Can be used to make hedges four to seven feet tall. Berberis vulgaris (European Barberry) is a host species of the wheat rust Puccinia graminis, a serious fungal disease of wheat. For this reason, cultivation of this species is prohibited in many areas.
Hedging berberis photograph by color line, used under a creative commons attribution licence
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