Japanese barberry
Berberis thunbergii
Hailing from Asia, as its name implies, Japanese barberry is a woody shrub ranging from 3-6 feet in height, although larger escaped cultivars have been identified. With small, spoon-shaped leaves, red berries, distinct colors, and plentiful barbs, barberry is relatively easy to identify. However, there are many cultivars for Japanese barberry, which can alter characteristics such as leaf color or size. (See images below)

Japanese barberry is still readily sold in garden centers and used in landscapes within Michigan (although some neighboring states are beginning to ban its use). Historically, it has been valued as an ornamental plant for it its colors which range from lime green to a deep burgundy. Additionally, barberry is naturally deer resistant due to the aforementioned barbs (thorns). 

When it escapes cultivation, barberry easily takes over a landscape, crowding out beneficial native plants. Typically the first to leaf-out in the spring and the last to lose its leaves in the fall, other plants competing for sunlight struggle to grow. 
Barberry invasion photo credit:  Williams et al., Environmental Entomology, September 2017
Learn More About Japanese Barberry
Barberry Facts
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  • Host plant for black-legged ticks
  • Spread through berries getting consumed by birds and other wildlife. Seeds are dropped in nearby natural areas. 
  • Shade tolerant - escaped cultivars are often found growing under forest canopies, forming dense thickets. 
  • Some newer cultivars are said to be sterile but their potential for future invasiveness is unknown. 
Management Options
  • Mechanical cutting alone is ineffective - new sprouts will likely appear!
  • Very young seedlings can be hand-pulled if entire root system can be removed. 
  • Again, if entire root system can be removed, digging barberry is an option. But keep an eye out for resprouts!
  • Herbicide application: Applying a liquid herbicide with an active ingredient of glyphosate or triclopyr to a recently cut stump is highly effective.