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Japanese Barberry

Berberis thunbergii

Found in rich forests, old fields. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

-55
Severe harm

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height
3–6 feet
Spread
4–7 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
See native alternatives

Do not plant. Listed invasive in Virginia.

Plant this instead

Choose your county to list local plants first.

  • Elliott's Blueberry
    Vaccinium elliottii

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Pink or white.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • Dwarf Azalea
    Rhododendron atlanticum

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Pink or white.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • Pink Azalea
    Rhododendron periclymenoides

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Pink, purple or white.

    Similar growth form, spread, evergreen or deciduous

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At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
March to April
Fruiting season
May to September

Recorded in 61 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Moist forests

Shortia beneath rhododendrons in mountain woodland
Regional / representative. Shown: Mountains of North and South Carolina; exact site not identified, a neighboring state.Shortia beneath rhododendrons in mountain woodland, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 114 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

12CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Berberis

  • Bleptina caradrinalisBent-Winged Owlet, Variable Snout
  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
  • Omphalocera cariosaMoonseed Webworm
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
  • Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
  • Rheumaptera meadiiBarberry Geometer, Barberry Looper
Show all 12
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Triphosa haesitataTissue Moth, Brown Tissue
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
3BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Berberis

  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Perdix perdixGray Partridge
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Berberidaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–8b
Flower color
Yellow
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Dark green
Fruit begins
May
Fruit ends
September

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Virginia rankSNA
Global rankGNR
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources