Why is the 'Red Leaf' Japanese Barberry shrub so popular?

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The ‘Red Leaf’ Japanese Barberry shrub is extremely popular because it has a reputation of being one tough plant! It thrives in difficult sites that have full sun exposure, and this perennial shrub plant is tolerant of many types of soil, but will not do well in wet to very moist soils. It is admittedly the most popular since homeowners get tired of green, and therefore, choose ‘Red Leaf’ to add colorful foliage in their landscapes.

The dense branching habit makes it a superb hedge or barrier plant. The round, oval leaves are a deep red to purple color. This moderate growing plant produces small, yellow flowers borne beneath leaves, from April to May, and are not showy. Also bright red berries can be found along stems from late fall through winter.

This ‘Red Leaf’ Japanese Barberry is typically classified as a small or medium sized shrub that gets 4-6 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide; in northern climates you will likely enjoy the beautiful red/orange color in the fall. If exposed to shade, the plant will get very thin, and the red/purple foliage will not have a rich color. Once established, barberries are like junipers in that they require less water relative to some other garden plants.

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