North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Berberis thunbergii

Berberis thunbergii DC.

japanese barberry

Synonym(s): Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea
Cultivar(s): Aureus

Image ID: 91627
Image by: Fleming, Gary P.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: BETH
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Berberis thunbergii
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2016-12-30

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
1191	Aureus	View

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: BERBE
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Berberis
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Barberry
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of 400-600 species, shrubs, of North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and n. Africa. Many authors favor the inclusion of Mahonia in Berberis. It appears that Mahonia is a paraphyletic grade basal to Berberis (in the narrow sense) (Kim, Kim, & Landrum 2004).
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: Other species of Berberis are used horticulturally in our area. Though none appear to be established at this time, the possibility of encountering species other than those treated above should be kept in mind.
GENUS REFERENCES: Whittemore in FNA (1997); Loconte in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993); Kim, Kim, & Landrum (2004).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: BERBER
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Berberidaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Barberry Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: As broadly defined here, a family of about 15 genera and 650 species, herbs and shrubs, of the temperate Northern Hemisphere and Andean South America. There has been much debate and study of whether the Berberidaceae should be recognized as a broadly defined unit, or split into a variety of segregate families (such as Podophyllaceae, Epimediaceae, Nandinaceae, Leonticaceae). Based on molecular studies, Kim & Jansen (1996, 1998) and Kim et al. (2004) conclude that division of the Berberidaceae into segregate families is not warranted.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Whetstone, Atkinson, & Spaulding in FNA (1997); Wang et al. (2009); Stearn (2002); Kim & Jansen (1996, 1998); Ahrendt (1961); Loconte & Estes (1989b); Kim et al. (2004); Meacham (1980); Loconte in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT:

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Shrub

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY:
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Radial (Actinomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: Mar-Apr

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR:

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
				x

FRUITING PERIOD: May-Sep.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE: Japan

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text:

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
778	1985-0433			View
2608	1987-0048			View
2609	1987-0049			View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
1494	778	160	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
4393	2608	84	NCBG staff	1987-06-01	View
4394	2609	84	NCBG staff	1987-06-01	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: BETH
USDA Common Name: Japanese Barberry
Native Status: L48 (I), CAN (I)
Distribution: USA (CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY), CAN (NB, NS, ON, PE, QC)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Shrub

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	UPL		FACU		FACU	UPL		FACU	FACU	UPL

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Berberis thunbergii
COMMON NAME: Japanese Barberry
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, FNA, G, Il, K, Pa, RAB, S, Va, W]
PHENOLOGY: Mar-Apr; May-Sep.
HABITAT: Rich forests, old fields; native of Japan.
COMMENTS: This species is immune to wheat rust; it is now the most commonly encountered barberry in much of our area.
RANGE MAP: Berberis thunbergii.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Berberidaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Barberry Family)
SUMMARY: As broadly defined here, a family of about 15 genera and 650 species, herbs and shrubs, of the temperate Northern Hemisphere and Andean South America. There has been much debate and study of whether the Berberidaceae should be recognized as a broadly defined unit, or split into a variety of segregate families (such as Podophyllaceae, Epimediaceae, Nandinaceae, Leonticaceae). Based on molecular studies, Kim & Jansen (1996, 1998) and Kim et al. (2004) conclude that division of the Berberidaceae into segregate families is not warranted.
REFERENCE: Whetstone, Atkinson, & Spaulding in FNA (1997); Wang et al. (2009); Stearn (2002); Kim & Jansen (1996, 1998); Ahrendt (1961); Loconte & Estes (1989b); Kim et al. (2004); Meacham (1980); Loconte in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Berberis L. (Barberry)
SUMMARY: A genus of 400-600 species, shrubs, of North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and n. Africa. Many authors favor the inclusion of Mahonia in Berberis. It appears that Mahonia is a paraphyletic grade basal to Berberis (in the narrow sense) (Kim, Kim, & Landrum 2004).
REFERENCE: Whittemore in FNA (1997); Loconte in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993); Kim, Kim, & Landrum (2004).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Berberis thunbergii in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Berberis thunbergii in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Berberis thunbergii in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Berberis thunbergii in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Berberis thunbergii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Berberis thunbergii

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 91627 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 0 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 0 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)