James barberry is a deciduous, multi-stemmed flowering shrub in the barberry family native to thickets, forests, forest margins, riversides, and mountain slopes in China and Tibet. Introduced by George Forrest in 1913. The plant will mature to about 10 feet high and 8 feet wide in an erect irregular form. James barberry prefers full sun and well-drained soil with a pH of 6 to 7, but is very adaptable to various soil types. It is heat, drought and deer tolerant. Prune in late winter to early spring as needed. Showy yellow flowers appear in spring in long, slender clusters. It has incredibly showy red fruits in 2 to 3-inch strands. Leaves have a red fall color. Received the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Merit in 1925. Use in groups as a hedge or as a specimen. It is bee and bird friendly. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Leaf spots, rust, powdery mildew, honey fungus , Phytophthora root rot and leaf scorch. Aphids and Berberis sawfly can be problematic. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Berberis .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheBerberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea'Berberis x gladwynensis 'William Penn'Cornus officinalis
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Multi-stemmed
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Leathery
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Olive green, simple, alternate leaves. Shiny, elliptic or oblong-obovate, 1 to 3 inches long and 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches wide, subleathery, with obviously raised midvein, lateral and reticulate veins conspicuous, margin entire or closely spinulose, apex rounded or retuse. Red fall color.
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Tiny yellow flowers in slender racemes of 9 to 20 flowers sometimes to 40 flowers. Sepals in 2 whorls; outer sepals oblong-obovate; inner sepals narrowly obovate. Petals obovate or narrowly oblong-elliptic.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Orange; Pink
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long
Fruit detail
Bright red to salmon-pink globose fruits in very showy clusters resemble currents. Berry initially creamy white, finally light red.
Stem color
Black; Gray/Silver; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Branches are dark gray or purplish black and terete. Young shoots purplish, slightly angled and spiny.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
China and South East Tibet
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
Not poisonous, but berries contain berberine that can cause stomach upset, especially with children.