Japanese Barberry

		Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a compact, rounded, deciduous shrub that commonly grows from two to four feet in height and 5 feet in width. Roots are shallow but tough. It will tolerate most soils but prefers well-drained soil. Hardy to zone 4, japanese barberry grows well in full sun to partial shade.

		Fall color is a mixture of orange and red.

		Foliage is bright green, oval, smooth edged, and clustered in groups close to the branches and in the axils of the single spines along it's twigs.

		Flowers are small (about 1/3 inch in diameter), yellow, and bloom in May in small clusters of 2 to 4 blossoms.

		Fruit is small, oblong red berries found singly or in clusters. They mature in mid-summer and remain through fall and into winter, when they are eaten by birds.