Berberis thunbergii Red Dream - Barberry

The Berberis thunbergii 'Red Dream' is a recent variety of Thunberg's barberry, notable for the truly dark reddish-brown color of its small foliage. This unusual colour is among the darkest that can be observed in these plants, beautifully highlights its small yellow flowers in spring, and then its bright red berries in late summer. It has low growth and its spreading habit is particularly graceful when used as ground cover or in a small mixed hedge.

The Berberis thunbergii, also known as Japanese barberry or Thunberg's barberry, is a bush of the berberidaceae family native to Japan. It is characterized by a bushy, spreading, low growth habit, and deciduous or almost evergreen foliage in mild climates.

The Czech cultivar 'Red Dream', sibling of Orange Dream, quickly reaches a height of 90cm (35.4 in) with a spread of 1.20m (3 ft 11 in). The branches of this variety, which are light brown to brownish, are slightly arched and slightly erect. The foliage is the main asset of this barberry. It consists of glossy leaves, smaller than those of other varieties, measuring 1 to 2 cm (0.8 in) long, obovate (ovate, with the upper part of the leaf wider than the lower part). When they emerge, leaves show a red color, then as they ripen, they darken until they become almost brown. In April to May, numerous clusters of 1 to 6 small flowers bloom on 1-year-old stems. The bell-shaped flowers, 1 cm (0.4 in) long, are a soft yellow streaked with red. They are very nectar-rich and in September to October are followed by small bright red spherical fruits, 6 to 8 mm (0.3 in) long, which persist on the branches for part of the winter. The foliage takes on a beautiful purplish-red hue before falling.

Thunberg's barberry is a very adaptable shrub in terms of soil, tolerating pruning very well, but clearly preferring sunny exposures. It is a shame to confine this shrub to the role of a monochrome and anonymous defensive hedge shrub. While it perfectly accomplishes its mission, its personality is stifled and its naturally graceful habit is completely masked. With its beautiful foliage, remarkable in certain cultivars like 'Red Dream', this shrub deserves a prime location in front of larger shrubs, with pink flowers (Kolkwitzia, Abelia, Abeliophyllum distichum Roseum), red flowers (Japanese quince, roses, Weigela), or even yellow to orange flowers (Japanese rose, Lena Orange broom, Dropmore Scarlet honeysuckle). It can also be paired with the grey foliage of shrubby wormwoods or Convolvulus cneorum. This shrub can also be planted in large rock gardens to cover slopes or accentuate the edge of a pathway. It also thrives in large pots, to adorn the terrace or balcony.