Purple barberry
Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea
Purple barberry is a shrub for structure, suited to full sun to partial shade and clay, loam, sandy soil or chalk, flowering Apr, May.
| Type | Shrub |
|---|---|
| Mature height | 150 cm |
| Spread | 120 cm |
| Aspect | full sun to partial shade |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Hardiness | RHS H7 |
| Pollinator-friendly | Yes |
| Pet-safe | No |
Where to use it in a border
At around 150 cm, it sits best toward the back of a border, or on its own as a focal point with room around it. Give it about 120 cm of room to spread. It is rated H7 by the RHS, so check it suits your area before planting.
It appears in our lists of full sun, clay soil, sandy soil, chalk soil, pollinator-friendly plants.
Border Builder uses Purple barberry's height, spread, soil, bloom months and companions to place it in a full border plan for your own conditions, on iPhone and iPad.
Flowering through the year
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Worth knowing
- Not recorded as pet-safe; site it away from pets that graze if that matters to you.
- Its flowers are valued by bees and other pollinators.
Good companions
Plants that share its conditions and style, chosen to complement its place in the border:
- African Lily 'Headbourne Hybrids'to edge in front
- Allium 'Purple Sensation'to edge in front
- Autumn Moor Grassto edge in front
- Black mondo grassto edge in front
- Chinese plumbagoto edge in front
- Chinese witch hazel 'Fire Dance'to flower when it does not