Barberry Barberries are often used in the southern landscape because they tolerate extreme soil and climate conditions and require minimum maintenance. The species most often found in South Carolina are wintergreen barberry, Mentor barberry and Japanese barberry.
Many cultivars are available.
It grows from 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 7 feet wide, depending on the cultivar. The shrub is medium to very dense with many thorns. The leaves are bright green in summer, changing to orange, scarlet and reddish purple in the fall. Japanese barberry is deciduous, and it is one of the first shrubs to leaf out in spring. This is true for most of the deciduous barberries.