This Berberis, much like most Berberis is a fantastically thorny plant which as beautiful as it is, it is one to approach wearing gauntlets and with great care. I like to plant them in places I don't particularly want people to be able to access. Blog post on traditional house 'defence' plants to follow.

A vigorous shrub with arching branches holding red rounded occasionally mottled green in tone, turning more and more plumb as the season goes on. The flowers are an unassuming yellow in spring followed by red berries in Autumn. 

Note from Hannah - Berberis berries are known as Barberries and are extremely popular in Moroccan cooking. Whilst this plant is a particularly spiky one the berries are relatively easy to collect hanging on the underneath of the branches, so much so my small children help me pick ours every year, (their little hands are particularly good at avoiding the thorns) and absolutely love them as they are more flavoursome than raisins. 

Leaf colour: Red.

Type: Deciduous.

Aspect: Full sun or partial shade. 

Soil Type: Sand, clay, chalk or loam. 

Pot Size: 10Litre