General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun. Tolerates light shade, but needs full sun to produce best foliage color. Very adaptable shrub that is tolerant of many pollutants in urban areas. Also tolerates some drought, but will not do well in poorly drained, wet soils.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

This Japanese barberry cultivar is a dense, deciduous shrub which grows 3'-6' tall. First leaves are purple, but new shoots emerge as a rose-pink mottled with bronzish to purplish red splotches. Leaves are of variable sizes (.50" to 1.25" long). Many branched, reddish-brown stems have sharp thorns. Tiny, yellowish flowers appear in late April to early May, but are often hidden by the foliage and are not considered showy. Bead-like, bright red berries form in fall and often last through the winter. The berries are attractive to birds.