Japanese barberry	USDA PLANTS Symbol: BETH USDA ARS GRIN: 6974 ITIS: 18835
Berberis thunbergii DC.
Taxonomic Rank: Magnoliopsida: Ranunculales: Berberidaceae
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.

---

Identification, Biology, Control and Management Resources

---

Selected Images from Invasive.org

View All Images at Invasive.org

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	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; James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Stem(s); April James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Infestation; May Steve Manning, Invasive Plant Control, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

---

Distribution Map

Multiple Points Single Point

Center Latitude: Mouse Latitude: Click Latitude:

Center Longitude: Mouse Longitude: Click Longitude: