Berberis thunbergii Flamingo

The Berberis thunbergii 'Flamingo' is a variety of barberry with deciduous foliage that changes colour three times from spring to autumn. Its young shoots first appear in intense pink before the leaves soften into variegated pink and white in summer. They finish their cycle in bright pink to tender red before falling. A more intense colouring distinguishes This variety from the cultivar 'Harlequin'. The more mature the plant, the more pronounced the variegation of its foliage. This spreading bushy shrub significantly impacts a small low hedge or a shrub bed with contrasting foliage.

The Berberis thunbergii, also known as Japanese barberry or Thunberg's barberry, is a shrub of the Berberidaceae family native to Japan. It is characterized by bushy, spreading, low habit, and deciduous foliage in winter or almost evergreen in mild climates. It is a hardy and low-maintenance plant, water-efficient, and tolerant of limestone soils.

With a bushy and upright habit, the Dutch cultivar' Flamingo' reaches about 1.20 m in height with a spread of 80 cm at maturity. The young branches are red and have mildly aggressive thorns. The foliage is the main asset of this barberry. It consists of glossy leaves measuring 3 cm long, ovate to rounded. The colour varies during the season, but after the intense pink spring flush, it settles into variegated pink and white foliage. In April-May, clusters of 1 to 6 small flowers bloom on 1-year-old stems. The bell-shaped flowers, 1 cm long, are a soft yellow slightly streaked with red. They are highly nectariferous and are followed in September-October by small bright red spherical fruits, 6 to 8 mm long, which persist on the branches for part of the winter. The foliage takes on a beautiful bright pink colour before falling.

The 'Flamingo' Japanese barberry is a tolerant shrub to different soil types and withstands pruning well. It appreciates the sun, but to avoid too intense exposures, especially in spring and summer midday, it is planted in partial shade in regions where necessary. Its foliage blends perfectly with a colour palette ranging from red to pink, orange, and blue. Plant it in a bed with shrubs such as pink-flowered Kolkwitzia and red-flowered Japanese quinces, not forgetting the blue of the Ceanothus thyrsifolius repens or the purple-brown of the Physocarpus Little Devil, for example. It can also be used in a small mixed hedge with evergreen foliage or enhance a large container on terraces and balconies. It also harmonizes well with the silvery foliage of artemisias or the cream-variegated green foliage like itself.