Berberis is one of those shrubs that seems to be doing something pleasing in almost every month. In spring, it is studded with neat little flowers; by summer, the foliage colour on many varieties is rich and strong; then in autumn leaves can turn fiery shades before dropping to reveal strings of berries. Evergreen forms keep their leaves all year and still provide berries, so whichever type you choose, you gain a shrub that earns its keep for a long stretch of the season rather than just a brief moment.
Common name: Barberry
Latin name: Berberis
Size in UK gardens: Typically 0.6–2m tall × 0.6–2m wide over time, with compact forms for low hedges and larger shrubs for mixed borders and screens.
Best position: Full sun or light shade in a border, along a boundary or as a low hedge; sun brings out the richest leaf and berry colour on many varieties.
Soil: Most ordinary, well‑drained garden soils, from light to clay, as long as they are not waterlogged for long periods.
Flowering time: Usually spring to early summer (often April–June) with clusters of small, hanging yellow to orange flowers, followed by colourful berries on many types.
Fragrance: Flowers may have a light, honeyed scent at close range, but barberries are generally grown more for their foliage, flowers and berries than strong perfume.
Hardiness: Generally very hardy throughout the UK, coping well with normal winters and colder inland sites once established.
Care level: Easy and tough – tolerates a wide range of soils and aspects, responds well to pruning, and asks mainly for a yearly tidy and the odd mulch.
The Simpson’s team raises the majority of our trees here at the nursery. For varieties outside our own production, we work with independent local growers we trust - all chosen for UK climate suitability.
Planting time: Best planted in spring or early autumn when the soil is moist and workable, giving roots a chance to establish before the heat of summer or the worst of winter.
Watering: Water regularly through the first growing season, particularly in dry spells; once established, Berberis usually only needs attention in prolonged drought, especially on light soils.
Feeding: A light feed in spring with a balanced shrub fertiliser or a top‑dress of garden compost is generally enough; these shrubs rarely need heavy feeding.
Pruning: Simple to manage – a light trim after flowering or in late winter keeps the shape neat, and older plants can be thinned occasionally to let in light.
Winter: Fully hardy in most UK gardens and generally requires no special winter care beyond a mulch around the base in exposed or very cold sites.
Availability is always changing, so please check with us if you have a particular variety in mind.
Glossy evergreen foliage and rich orange flowers make this barberry a real spring star, bringing both structure and colour in one dependable shrub. It’s brilliant as an informal hedge or as a tough, handsome backbone in borders, and it has that slightly wild, hedgerow robustness that makes a garden feel more established.
All the charm of darwinii, but in a smaller, tidier form that suits more modest gardens. The foliage stays dense and evergreen, the orange flowers still give a lively spring show, and the overall habit is wonderfully neat—ideal for low hedging, front borders, and repeated planting for rhythm.
Here you get a strong, upright shape that adds instant structure, like a colourful exclamation mark in the border. The foliage has real presence and the form is naturally narrow, making it perfect for tight spaces, for flanking paths, or for adding a formal, vertical note among softer, rounded shrubs.
Golden-yellow foliage brings brightness from spring through autumn, acting like a little lamp in the border. It’s wonderful for lifting darker planting, and it looks particularly striking alongside purple or blue-toned companions where the contrast makes the whole scheme feel more designed and deliberate.
A compact, colourful barberry with a lively, contemporary feel—ideal when you want strong foliage colour without a big shrub taking over. It’s perfect for the front of borders, patio planting, and repeating in short runs, where its neat habit and bold tones keep the planting looking sharp.
A beautifully patterned barberry, with pink, purple and silvery tones marbling through the leaves like a painter’s wash. It’s a superb choice for adding richness and colour contrast in borders, and it looks especially effective against green evergreens, where the variegation stands out clearly all season.
A slim, upright barberry with rosy-red tones that give borders a crisp, modern accent without using much space. It’s excellent for adding vertical punctuation, for repeating along a path to create rhythm, or for slipping into mixed borders where you want colour and structure in a tidy column.
Bold, colourful foliage gives this barberry a strong presence, making it a useful shrub when you want a border to look lively from early season onwards. It’s excellent as a small feature plant, and particularly effective when repeated so the colour appears in more than one place and ties the planting together.
A small, neat barberry with richly coloured leaves edged in a fine golden line, giving it a very polished, almost jewel-like look. It’s perfect for the front of borders, low edging, and pots, where the detail can be admired up close and the colour makes a tidy, confident statement.
Deep burgundy foliage outlined with a crisp golden edge gives this barberry a wonderfully defined look, as though each leaf has been carefully drawn. It’s excellent for adding contrast in borders, and it looks especially good alongside lime greens and silvers where the colour becomes a real highlight.
A bright, upright barberry that brings a column of golden colour, ideal when you want height without width. It’s superb for punctuating borders, repeating for rhythm, or flanking an entrance, and it’s a wonderfully easy way to thread warm colour through planting from spring to autumn.
Soft orange and amber tones give this barberry a warm, glowing look that feels especially lovely in mixed planting schemes. It’s perfect near the front of a border where the colour can be enjoyed, and it partners beautifully with purples, blues and silvers for that rich, painterly contrast.
A narrow, upright form with fiery orange-red foliage, bringing a strong vertical accent that reads brilliantly from a distance. It’s ideal for small gardens, for lining paths, or for adding a contemporary, architectural note to borders, where colour and form work together to keep things looking sharp.
Tall and slender with rich red foliage, this barberry gives borders a strong, structured feel without spreading outwards. It’s excellent for creating rhythm in planting, marking corners, or adding a formal, upright note among softer shrubs and perennials, keeping colour in the garden for months.
Golden foliage with a lively, bright look brings instant cheer, making this a fine choice for lifting borders and adding contrast. It works beautifully against darker evergreens, and it’s particularly effective when used in small groups so the colour reads as a deliberate highlight rather than an isolated dot.
Deep, richly coloured foliage gives this barberry a handsome, robust presence, perfect for adding structure and a touch of drama through the seasons. It works beautifully as part of an informal hedge or as a bold border shrub, and it’s especially effective when set against fresh greens where the darker tones look deliberate and well composed.
A classic, strong-growing barberry with sumptuous purple foliage that brings real richness to borders and hedges. It’s superb for creating contrast and depth, and it looks particularly striking when planted in a sweep, where the colour reads as a confident block rather than a single accent.
