- Berberis thunbergii is a small deciduous shrub from 2-8 ft. (0.6-2.4 m) tall. The thin, grooved branches have thin, straight spines. Berberis thunbergii is very shade-tolerant and can form dense stands which shade out and displace native species.
- The leaves are up to 1 in. (24 mm) long and paddle-shaped.
- The pale-yellow flowers occur in drooping clusters of 2-5 and develop in mid-spring to early summer.
- The berries ripen to a bright red color and are 0.25-0.3 in. (7-10 mm) long.
- Ecological Threat
- Berberis thunbergii invades a variety of habitats from shaded woodlands to open fields and wetlands. Berberis thunbergii is rapidly spread by birds that eat the berries thus dispersing the seeds. It is native to Asia and was first introduced into The United States in 1864 as an ornamental. It is still widely planted for landscaping and hedges.
- Zouhar, Kris. 2008. Berberis thunbergii, Fire Effects Information System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory
- Global Invasive Species Database. 2011. Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of the IUCN Species Survival Commission
- Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
- University of Connecticutt Database of Trees, Shrubs and Vines
- Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
- Invasive Plant Atlas of New England
- University of Florida IFAS Extension
- USDA NRCS PLANTS
- USDA ARS GRIN