Scientific name: Berberis thunbergii
Family: BERBERIDACEAE
Common names: “Japanese barberry”
Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
Conditions:
Zone: 5-8
Light: Full sun best – part shade
Exposure: Sheltered
Soil: Any but waterlogged
Moisture: Average well drained – drought tolerant once established
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: 3-5′ H & W
Leaf and Stem shape: obovate leaves turning red and orange in autumn
Flower: Yellow solitary flowers flushed red on sepals followed by glossy bright scarlet 
berries
Pruning: Prune out older stems to base to maintain natural form
Maintenance: Low
Landscape use: Hedging and screens, banks and slopes, coastal cottage
Propagate: By seed and cuttings
Pests & Disease: Can be attacked by a fungus
Comments: Once banned in Canada because it was thought to be an alternate host to wheat rust, but now legal to grow as it was discovered only certain berberis species support the pest, has prickly spines which are painful
Cultivars: ~AGM winners: B. t. f. atropurpurea ‘Concorde’ & ‘Harlequin’
Vancouver Island Grows 