Berberis thunbergii Darts Red Lady - Barberry

Berberis thunbergii 'Dart's Red Lady' is a stunning, award-winning variety of barberry with the Award of Garden Merit! This dwarf bush bears charming small ovate red-purple leaves that offer a spectacular contrast with its pale yellow, slightly fragrant and nectar-rich flower clusters in spring. Its foliage then turns a flamboyant orange-red, illuminating the garden until the start of winter. Small bright red fruits beloved by birds complete this colourful scene. Compact, it will be perfect in borders, hedges, or in pots. It is a perfectly hardy and undemanding bush that can be planted in full sun or partial shade in well-drained soils that are not too dry.

Berberis thunbergii, also known as Japanese barberry, is a bush of the berberidaceae family native to Japan. It is characterized by a bushy, spreading, and low habit, and deciduous foliage, almost evergreen in mild climates. The colour of its foliage intensifies under full sun. Hardy and resistant to temporary drought, it is a very easy bush to grow in well-drained soils.

The cultivar 'Dart's Red Lady' is a compact bush with medium growth, reaching about 70cm (27.6in) in height and 1m (39.4in) in width. The branches, ranging from beige to light brown, are erect and dense in this variety and bear small thorns. Its colourful foliage is the main asset of this barberry, consisting of glossy leaves which measure 2 to 3cm (0.8 - 1.2in) long and are obovate (ovate, with the upper part of the leaf wider than the lower part). At bud break, they show a cherry red colour and as they ripen they darken to become deep red-purple. In autumn, they turn bright orange-red before falling. In May-June, numerous clusters of 1 to 6 small flowers bloom on 1-year-old stems. These bell-shaped flowers are 1cm (0.4in) long and pale yellow marked with red. They are fragrant, very nectar-rich, and followed in September-October by small bright red spherical fruits measuring 6 to 8mm (0.2 - 0.3in), which persist on the branches for part of the winter.

Japanese barberry is a very accommodating bush in terms of soil, tolerating pruning very well but clearly preferring sunny exposures. It is a shame to confine it to the role of a monochrome and anonymous defensive hedge bush where its naturally graceful habit is completely masked. The intensely coloured foliage of 'Dart's Red Lady' deserves a prominent position in front of taller bushes with pink flowers (Kolkwitzia, Abelia, Abeliophyllum distichum 'Roseum'), red flowers (Japanese quinces, roses, Weigelas), or even yellow to orange flowers (Japanese kerria, Lena Orange broom, Dropmore Scarlett honeysuckle). To create striking contrasts, it can also be paired with the silver foliage of small artemisias like 'Little Mice' or the variegated cream foliage of perennials like 'variegated bishop's weed'.