How to Grow Berberis in the UK

Berberis, or barberry, is one of the toughest shrubs you can plant in a UK garden. Want red autumn colour, spring flowers, berries for the birds or a prickly boundary? There’s a berberis for the job. They come in two handy groups: deciduous types grown for leaves and berries, and evergreen types grown for flowers and dense hedging.

Deciduous or evergreen: which berberis to choose

Berberis splits into two groups, and that choice shapes everything else. Deciduous berberis, mainly Berberis thunbergii, drops its leaves in winter but puts on fiery autumn colour and lots of red berries. Evergreen berberis, mainly B. darwinii and B. x stenophylla, keeps its leaves all year and bursts into orange or yellow flower every spring.

Choose deciduous types for seasonal colour and a compact shape. Purple-leaved ‘Atropurpurea’ and dwarf ‘Atropurpurea Nana’ are great in borders and as low edging. Choose evergreens for screening, security and spring flowers for bees. They make a dense, spiny wall all year round, which is just what a boundary hedge needs.

Soil and aspect hardly matter. Both groups grow in any well-drained soil, in sun or part shade. It’s really about what you want to see.

Dwarf ‘Atropurpurea Nana’ makes neat purple edging, while the evergreen kinds build a full hedge.

Evergreen Berberis darwinii smothered in orange flowers in spring. No dull green shrub, this.

Deciduous vs evergreen berberis compared

Use this table to match a berberis to what you want most: autumn colour, spring flowers or a prickly barrier.

Stenophylla and julianae are the prickliest and make the best security hedges. Darwinii has the showiest spring flowers. The thunbergii types are grown for their leaves and autumn berries rather than their thorns.

Planting a stockproof berberis hedge

Spacing decides whether you get a proper barrier or a row of separate bushes. For a dense, spiny hedge, plant 3-4 plants per metre in a single staggered row, 30-40cm apart. Closer spacing fills in faster but needs more plants. Wider gaps can take years to close.

Plant bare-root plants between November and March, or potted plants any time the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged. Dig a trench rather than separate holes for a nice straight line. Mix in some garden compost on poor ground, firm each plant in and water well. Bare-root plants are much cheaper for a long hedge.

A mature B. x stenophylla hedge along a boundary: a dense, thorny screen that’s very hard to push through.

Using berberis spines for intruder-proof security

A berberis hedge is a cheap and effective way to make your home less inviting to intruders. Stenophylla and julianae have clusters of sharp spines all along their stems, which make climbing or pushing through genuinely painful.

Plant a spiny hedge under ground-floor windows, along boundaries, and beside drainpipes or low roofs that could be climbed. A fence can be hopped over in seconds, but a thick, prickly hedge can’t.

Keep it at 1.5-2m where it screens windows, and let boundary runs grow to 2.5-3m. Trim the face so it stays dense right down to the ground, with no gap to crawl under. Gravel underneath adds a noisy warning underfoot.

Safety tip: Berberis spines can cause sore puncture wounds that sometimes get infected. Wear thick leather gloves, long sleeves and eye protection when planting, trimming or clearing prunings.

Autumn colour and berries for birds

Deciduous berberis puts on a brilliant autumn show. Purple-leaved thunbergii types turn scarlet in October, and red berries hang on the stems after the leaves fall. Evergreen types follow their spring flowers with blue-black berries. Blackbirds and thrushes come to feed on the fruit well into winter.

The dense, spiny growth also gives small birds safe nesting cover. Dunnocks and wrens nest low inside a berberis hedge, where the thorns keep cats away. A mixed berberis hedge feeds and shelters wildlife all year.

Berberis thunbergii ‘Atropurpurea’ in late October: scarlet leaves and red berries before the leaves fall.

Where berberis grows: soil, aspect and hardiness

Berberis really isn’t fussy. It grows in any well-drained soil, including clay, sand, chalk and acid ground. The only thing it hates is ground that stays waterlogged, where the roots rot. On heavy clay, fork in grit and plant on a slight mound so the base stays out of standing water.

Give it full sun or part shade. Purple and yellow-leaved deciduous types colour best in sun, and in shade the purple fades to green. Evergreen types stay dense and spiny in part shade, which makes them handy for north and east-facing boundaries.

Garden berberis is fully hardy and gets through normal UK winters without any protection. It also copes with coastal wind, town pollution and dry soil under trees. That toughness is why you see it in car parks and roadside planting all over the country.

The tell-tale triple spine of berberis, with three sharp points at each joint.

When and how to prune berberis

When you prune depends on the type, and getting it wrong can cost you a year of flowers. Prune evergreen berberis straight after flowering, in May or June. They flower on last year’s stems, so cutting in winter or early spring removes the flower buds. A light trim to shape and removing any dead or wayward stems is all most need.

Prune deciduous berberis in late winter, from January to early March, while it’s dormant and the bare stems are easy to see. Thin out old, crowded stems at the base to open up the middle, and shorten long shoots to a bud. You may lose a few spring flowers, but these types are grown mainly for their leaves and berries.

Both types cope with a hard cut-back. An overgrown, leggy hedge cut back hard (in late winter for deciduous, after flowering for evergreens) will sprout from old wood and fill out again over a few seasons. Wear thick gloves and clear up every prickly offcut, as they stay sharp for months.

Thick leather gauntlets are a must for pruning berberis. Thin gloves won’t stop the spines.

The plant health question: cereal rust and Berberis thunbergii

There’s one plant-health point worth knowing. Common barberry, Berberis vulgaris, can host black stem rust, a disease of cereal crops. That’s why common barberry was cleared from near farmland in many countries in the last century.

Garden Berberis thunbergii has been restricted in some places abroad, but in the UK it’s widely sold and not banned. In a typical garden, far from a wheat field, there’s nothing to worry about.

A blackbird tucking into berberis berries, which feed thrushes and blackbirds well into winter.

Month-by-month berberis calendar

Common berberis mistakes to avoid

A few simple slip-ups cause most berberis disappointments.

Pruning evergreens at the wrong time. Cutting B. darwinii or stenophylla in winter or early spring removes the flower buds. Always prune evergreen types after flowering, in May or June.

Spacing a hedge too widely. Planting one per metre to save money leaves gaps that never quite close. For a proper barrier, plant 3-4 per metre from the start.

Planting in waterlogged ground. Berberis copes with almost any soil except one that stays wet. In a soggy hollow or undrained clay, the roots rot. Add grit and plant a little high.

Handling it bare-handed. The spines go through thin gloves and can break off in your skin. Strimming a hedge in light clothes sends prickly bits flying. Wear gloves, long sleeves and eye protection every time.

Gardener’s tip: When clearing berberis prunings, rake them onto a tarp rather than picking them up. They stay sharp for months, and a stray bit in the lawn will find bare feet sooner or later.

Pairing berberis with other tough shrubs

Berberis looks great with other easy, wildlife-friendly shrubs. For a mixed prickly boundary, team it with pyracantha (firethorn), which has thorns and berries too, and evergreen euonymus for contrasting leaves. The yellow flowers of mahonia stretch the season for bees, and its relative nandina adds bright winter leaf colour.

For butterflies, plant buddleja nearby to keep them coming through summer. On heavy ground, our guides to the best plants for clay soil and how to improve clay soil will help. On lighter ground, see the best plants for sandy soil for companions that cope with dry spells like berberis does.

Browse all our plant growing guides for more hard-working shrubs.

Now you’ve got berberis sorted, read our guide on growing camellias in the UK for an evergreen that brings flowers to the shady corners a spiny hedge can’t reach.

Frequently asked questions about growing berberis

Is berberis evergreen or deciduous?

There are both kinds. Berberis darwinii and B. x stenophylla are evergreen with spring flowers. Berberis thunbergii is deciduous, with red autumn colour and berries. Choose evergreen for year-round screening and deciduous for seasonal colour.

How far apart should I plant a berberis hedge?

Plant 3-4 plants per metre for a solid barrier. Set them in a single staggered row, 30-40cm apart. Closer spacing fills in faster but needs more plants. The plants should knit together within a few growing seasons.

When should I prune berberis?

Prune evergreen berberis straight after flowering, in May or June. Prune deciduous berberis in late winter before growth starts. Cutting evergreens before they flower loses the display. Both types cope well with a hard cut-back if they get overgrown.

Is berberis good for security?

Yes, a berberis hedge is a great deterrent. The sharp spines make pushing or climbing through it very unpleasant. Plant it under ground-floor windows and along boundaries, where it adds a prickly layer a fence alone can’t.

Do birds eat berberis berries?

Yes, blackbirds and thrushes enjoy the berries in autumn and winter. The dense, spiny growth also gives small birds safe nesting cover away from cats.

Does berberis grow in shade?

It grows in full sun or part shade. Evergreen types stay dense in part shade. Purple-leaved deciduous types colour best in full sun. Avoid deep shade, where growth thins and autumn colour fades.

Is berberis thunbergii banned in the UK?

No, Berberis thunbergii is not banned in the UK. Old restrictions were aimed at common barberry, which can host a rust disease of cereal crops. Thunbergii is widely sold. If you’re planting a lot near arable farmland, check the current Defra plant health advice first.

What soil does berberis need?

Almost any well-drained soil will do. It copes with clay, sand, chalk and acid ground. It only dislikes waterlogged spots. Add grit to heavy clay before planting and avoid hollows where water sits.