Japanese Barberry 'Sunbeam'

Japanese Barberry 'Sunbeam' (Berberis thunbergii 'Sunbeam') promises a ray of sun in its name, and the bush duly delivers one. Small leaves densely clothe the thorny shoots, pale yellow flowers dust the bush in spring, and in autumn the crown blazes orange, yellow and red.

After flowering come glossy bright red berries that stay on the bare branches until winter. Barberry takes clipping well, so it is used for hedges, edgings and thorny barrier strips. It is undemanding: it copes with drought, heat and city air, and gives its brightest colours in full sun.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: Barberry counts as deer-resistant: its thorny shoots keep browsing animals well away from the bush.
• Dimensions: Height 1-1.5 m, spread 1-1.5 m - it reaches this size in 5-10 years.
• Hardiness: It overwinters without cover, holding frosts down to -34 °C (USDA zone 4).
• Flowering: In April-May pale yellow flowers with reddish sepals open.
• Light: Plant it in sun or partial shade, though in sun the shrub fruits more generously and blazes brighter in autumn.
• Soil: It readily accepts chalk, clay, loam or sand of any pH - acid, neutral or alkaline. Only waterlogged spots are avoided.
• Watering: Watering is moderate, from dry to medium: once established the shrub copes well with drought.
• Care: It needs next to no care: RHS pruning group 2, with hedges trimmed right after flowering.
• Landscape use: It goes into hedges and barrier plantings, cottage, coastal and wildlife gardens, and flower borders.