Non-native* (Asia)
Other names: Thunberg's Barberry, Red Barberry, Desert Holly
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| Photo of red/purple form by Evelyn Fitzgerald on Flickr under a Creative Commons license. |
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| [1] For more detail see also eFloras.org |
Notes:
B. vulgaris can be differentiated from B. thunbergii in a number of ways.
- The leaves of B. vulgaris have toothed edges, while the edges of the leaves of B. thunbergii are entire.
- B. thunbergii has single, unbranched spines along the stem. B. vulgaris may have double or triple branched spines.
- Flowers (and fruits) of B. thunbergii hang down from stems singularly; flowers usually white. B. vulgaris has yellow flowers in longish clusters.
There are numerous cultivars of B. thunbergii, including dwarf, yellow, and purplish-red forms. Crossing among them and with feral populations may result in a reversion to green leaf colors. There is wide variation in the number of seeds produced by various cultivars, but once established and mature, nearly all cultivars (including those produced no fruit when first planted) show an increase in seed productivity over initial numbers, so cultivars advertised as "sterile" are not safe to plant. See Brand et al. 2012 for details.
References:
- Species profile at USDA Plants Database: B. thunbergii
- Michigan Flora online species profile
- University of Wisconsin-Steven Point Robert. W. Freckmann herbarium species profile
- Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Illinois species profile
- Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, Invasive.org species profile
- eFloras.org species profile
- Global Invasive Species Database ecology of B. thunbergii
* Listed as invasive in natural areas by the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.
(Numbers in photo captions are photo credits, listed in the "Photo Credits" tab at the top of the page)
