Berberis thunbergii Limoncello - Barberry

Berberis thunbergii 'Limoncello' is a remarkable new American variety of Japanese barberry, known for the colour of its small foliage, chartreuse green with red edges, which takes on warm autumnal shades. This small bush has a lovely rounded, dense, and compact habit. Requiring little maintenance, it will easily find its place in the garden or in a pot on the terrace, in a sunny location and in moist soil. It will be perfect in a shrub bed or as a border plant, complementing the house with its neat appearance and bright foliage.

Berberis thunbergii, also known as Japanese barberry is a bush from the berberidaceae family native to Japan. It is characterized by a bushy, spreading, and low habit and deciduous foliage, semi-evergreen in mild climates.

The American cultivar 'Limoncello' is part of the "First Editions" collection, new varieties selected for their hardiness, disease resistance, and ease of cultivation. It quickly reaches a height of 1 to 1.20m (3.3ft - 4ft) with a similar spread. The branches of this variety have non-aggressive thorns. The foliage is the main asset of this barberry. It consists of small shiny, obovate leaves (ovate, with the upper part of the leaf wider than the lower part). They are chartreuse green, irregularly edged with small coppery red dots. In April-May, numerous clusters of 1 to 6 small yellow flowers bloom on 1-year-old stems. They are highly nectar-rich and followed in September-October by small bright red spherical fruits, 6 to 8mm (0.2 - 0.3in) long, which persist on the branches for part of the winter. The foliage takes on beautiful colours in autumn, ranging from orange to red and passing through yellow before falling.

Thunberg's barberry 'Limoncello' is a very adaptable bush in terms of soil, tolerating pruning very well, and preferring sunny exposures. It is a shame to confine it to the role of a monochrome and anonymous defensive hedge where its naturally graceful habit is completely erased. Its beautiful foliage deserves a prominent place in front of larger bushes with darker foliage or pink flowers (Kolkwitzia, Abelia, Abeliophyllum distichum Roseum), red (Japanese Quince, roses, Weigelas), or even yellow to orange (Kerria japonica, Lena Orange Broom, Dropmore Scarlet Honeysuckle). This bush can also be planted in large rockeries to cover slopes or highlight the edge of a pathway. It also thrives when grown in a large container to adorn the terrace or balcony.