BERBERISorBARBERRY
( Ber’beris ) . stout and tender evergreen and family , Berberidaceae . They are wide distributed leaf - losing shrubs which belong to the Barberry in the Old and New Worlds , and are particularly abundant in China . Although some legal community - berries are renowned for their beautiful and fragrant flowers , others are more attractive when covered with brilliantly colored fruits afterward in the year . The name Berberis is derived from the Arabic , berberys . A peculiarity of all the Barberries is that three spines are find at the base of each growth bud .
The coarse Barberry , Berberis vulgaris , bears very gaudy , crimson Charles Edward Berry , but alas , this shrub , as well as sealed other kinds , is the alternating host of the rust disease of pale yellow , and must therefore not be grown in wheat - raise regions .
Planting and Pruning
These shrubs thrive in a wide reach of soils from sandy loam to clayey loam ; therefore , they may be expected to win in any ordinary garden ground . Evergreen kinds are well set in bounce , others in spill or spring . They acquire naturally into shapely bush and regular pruning is unneeded . When the bushes have grown too turgid for their positions they may be tailor back as soon as the flowering menstruation is over . Although some kind hold temperate nicety , the dear results are obtained in cheery positions .
Good Hedge Shrubs
Several kind of Berberis make very good informal hedge , notably B. Darwinii , B. stenophylla , B. Thunbergii , B. Julianae , and B. Wilsonae Stapfiana . They require oneannual press clipping which should be done as soon as the flowershave faded . The dwarf forms of B. Thunbergii love as pocket-sized ( Box Barberry ) and Red Pygmy make good low edging .
When to Sow Seeds
generation is generally by means of seeds , which are sown as soon as ripe or in former springtime in a cold frame in flats or pots fill with sandy soil . The young plants are cock up off into flat or singly in little kitty when they are prominent enough to handle , and eventually are planted out in a nursery border . come may also be sown directly outdoors in a prepared seam in a shady position . Because Bar - berries hybridize freely seed collected from plant grow near other kinds of barberry often acquire hybrid progeny .
When to Take Cuttings
Varieties that do not come true from seeds , as well as other variety , are increased by cuttings of inadequate shoots , 3 or 4 in . long , taken in July or August , and dibble in a bottom of gumption or of George Sand and peat moss in a cold ‘ frame . They take about 6 months to become well enough rooted for transplant . Sometimes suckers are come away from turgid plants and planted to form new bushes .
Evergreen Barberries
Those barberries that hold back their leafage through the winter are among the most well-favoured of evergreen shrubs . Berberis Darwinii , an erect , handsome bush , often 6 - 8 foot . but sometimes 12 - 18 ft . high , has diminished , sheeny , colored evergreen plant parting and orange - colored fragrant flowers during late April and May ; the fruit are dark purple with a gray - risque bloom . It is a native of Chile . B. stenophylla is the offspring of the last - refer cross with another Chilean bush , B. empetrifolia ; it grows at least 8 ft . high and develops into a dense shrub composed of recollective , lissome limb clothed with narrow , dark evergreen folio , and in May take over a profusion of favourable - yellow flowers .
A relatively new Chilean Barberry is B. linearifolia , which resembles B. Darwinii , but has larger flowers of richer coloring . The orange - flowered B. cologensis , a loanblend between B. Darwinii and B. linearifolia , is showy .
Berberis pruinosa , from southwesterly China , is very vigorous , turn 12 or more foot gamy ; although a coarse bush , it is handsome when carry its scandalmongering flowers in May and again afterward , when laden with blue - ignominious fruits . B. Hookeri is a bush , 3 - 6 ft . high , with leaves dark greenish above , silvery beneath , yellow peak , and almost black fruit . B. Wallichiana is a similar bush with leaf green on both English . Both grow savage in the Himalayas . None of these Barberries is broadly speaking hardy North .
The Hardiest Evergreens
One of the hardiest evergreen plant Barberries is Berberis Julianae from China . It grows 6 ft . tall , has sensationalistic flowers , blue-blooded - black fruits , and is a thorny shrub ; B. triacanthophora , hardy to southerly New England , is 3 - 5 foot . high and attractive ; B. Gagnepainii , 6 foot . , has chicken stem turn and minute leaves ; B. Sargentiana , 5 - 6 foot . , is hardy to about New York City;B. buxifolia , from southern Chile , under prosperous condition grows 8 - 10 ft . marvelous and is about as hardy as the others here cite . B. candidula is a dwarf Formosan sort ; B. Chenaultii is a good hybrid betweenB. verruculosaand B. Gagnepainii . One of the good evergreen plant barroom - berries is B. verruculosa , a low - growing evergreen plant of compendious growth which reach a height of 2 - 31/2 ft . after many years ’ emergence ; it carry yellow bloom and blue - black fruit and is worthy for the high function of the rock garden . It was introduced in western China in 1904 . B. mentorensis is an evergreen or semievergreen variety , a hybrid between B. Julianae and B. Thunbergii ; it stands rut and sobriety well .
The Red-fruited Barberries
B. Wilsonae is a dense shrub , 3 foot . mellow with very spiny ramification and low leaves that fall in winter ; the flowers are yellow-bellied , but the coral - reddened fruits in fall are its chief attraction . Its smorgasbord Stapfiana is more or less standardized , but more vigorous and is also very beautiful in fall and winter by intellect of its ruby-red Charles Edward Berry . B. Wilsonae subcaulialata is also a beneficial red - fruit sort . These are of Chinese stock .
Berberis Thunbergii , a Formosan variety , is specially beautiful because of the rich scarlet and orange coloring of the leave of absence in autumn . It grows 5 - 6 foot . high and bears ‘ yellow flowers and red fruits . The variety atropurpurea has majestic foliage ; minor is a secure dwarf shrub for a rock garden , and a spineless variety has been patented . Other utilitarian variety are B. dictyophylla from southwesterly China ; B. rubrostilla ( regarded as a hybrid between B. Wilsonae and B. aggregata ) , valued for its dark-skinned fruits ; B. aggregata , a Taiwanese shrub , 6 - 9 foot . high , conduct handsome red berries ; B. concinna , a nanus folio
losing bush , with attractive leave of absence , silvery on the underside ; and B. polyantha , a large leaf - losing bush from westerly China , which is conspicuous for its large cluster of yellow flowers and red fruits . There are also legion handsome hybrid Barberries of garden origin .
The Mahonias
One section of Berberis , which comprise of evergreen kinds with large leaves divided into several segments , is now correctly named Mahonia , which should be consulted for particulars .
The shrubs are often grown under the name of Berberis Aquifolium , B. Fortunei , B. japonica , B. nepalensis and B. repens , are Mahonias .
