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Barberry

Berberis thunbergii

Barberry is a vegetable in the Berberidaceae family. It grows best in full sun to part shade with low moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 4-8.

Varieties

1 · sorted by days to maturity
  • Barberry

    PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Foliage shrub (cuttings) (not in original seed catalog). Use: Colorful thorny foliage; deer-resistant hedge. Note: Invasive and banned/restricted in several US states.

    Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a thorny, deer-resistant shrub grown for red or gold foliage; however it is invasive and prohibited in a number of states - check local rules.

    Growing notes: Botanical name: Berberis thunbergii|Hardiness zones: 4-8|Propagation: cutting|Light: Full sun to part shade|Water: Low|Mature size: 1-6 feet

Family
Berberidaceae
Category
Vegetable
Form
Shrub
Lifecycle
perennial
Zone
4-8
Height
1–6 ft
Spread
2–6 ft
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Water
Low

Plan your barberry planting

Add barberry to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.

Start your free plan →

At a glance

Frost tolerance
Hardy · to ~-30°F
Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives

Storing & preserving

Most keep best refrigerated; storage crops prefer a cool, dry spot.

  • Freeze: Blanch briefly, cool, then freeze — keeps color and texture.
  • Can: Pressure-can low-acid vegetables; water-bath only pickled/acidified ones.

General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Growing timeline

Propagation
Cutting
Schedule anchor
Last Frost

Care & troubleshooting

No curated care & troubleshooting advice for barberry yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.