What bushes are barberry. A complete description of the common barberry. Growing conditions for common barberry

Many owners of home garden plots and summer cottages plant shrubs with high decorative properties. One of them is barberry. Planting and caring for this shrub is not particularly difficult. The article discusses how to properly plant an acquired plant, take care of it. Tips on propagating barberry and combating pests and diseases that affect it may also come in handy.

Varieties and varieties of barberry

Barberry is a spectacular ornamental plant with elongated fruits of bright red, yellow or white color. It is hardy, drought tolerant and hardy shrub with elliptical leaves of the most diverse colors: green, yellow, red, purple. The berries of the common barberry are edible and are widely used in cooking and medicine. They have a pleasant sour taste and are used to make compotes, kissels, jams, marshmallows, syrups, etc.

Barberry with ripe fruits

Due to the presence of many useful substances - malic, tartaric and citric acids, carotenoids, vitamins, mineral salts, the fruits and leaves of the plant are used to make drugs:

  • reducing blood pressure;
  • having a bactericidal effect;
  • preventing the development of lamblia in the human body;
  • to stop bleeding;
  • relieve fatigue;
  • fight against psoriasis.

Exist three main varieties of barberry, each of which has many varieties:


There are also types of barberry that have outward signs similarity with common barberry:

  • a hybrid of Provencal barberry, obtained by crossing an ordinary and Siberian plant species;
  • growing in the Himalayas Spinous;
  • barberries of Zimbold, James, Diels.

Planting barberry

In order for the seedlings to develop well, bloom profusely and bear fruit, it is important to carefully consider the choice of a place for planting and soil preparation. For barberry, soil with normal acidity is most suitable, if its pH is more than 7.0, it is recommended to add slaked lime before or during planting.

Barberry seedling

The optimal distance between the bushes for a single planting is 1.5 m, when creating a hedge - 0.5 m. Barberry does not tolerate stagnant water, so it should be planted in the highest places of the site and drain the soil by adding sand to improve the aeration of the root system of the plant.

Attention! Despite its endurance and unpretentiousness, the barberry is photophilous; when planted in the shade, the bright shades of the color of its leaves fade and may disappear. decorative elements on the leaves, for which this plant is especially valued: spots, stripes and other patterns.

Boarding order:

  1. A landing pit is being prepared with sides of 40 x 40 x 40 cm.
  2. A small layer of sand is laid at the bottom of the pit, then a mixture of soddy soil with 8-10 kg of humus or compost. If a organic fertilizers are absent, mineral ones can be used instead (200 g of superphosphate and 100 g of potassium sulfate). At high soil pH (high acidity), 400 g of lime or 200 g of wood ash are added to it.
  3. The plant is placed in a hole, filled free space prepared earth mixture, water abundantly, mulch the surface with peat or compost. The root neck of the bush should be at the level of the soil surface.
  4. The top of the plant is cut off leaving 3-5 strong buds at the bottom.

It is very important to cover the plant well for the winter.

The best time for planting or transplanting it in the fall is from September 15 to October 15, in the spring - from the 20th of March to April 15. Plants that are purchased in a container can also be planted in the summer, choosing a non-hot day and protecting the first days from direct sunlight.

Seedling care

The main care operations for barberry bushes are:

  • loosening the soil, facilitating the access of oxygen to the roots of the plant;
  • watering in dry weather, weeding with weed removal;
  • pruning of weak and diseased branches, the formation of a bush;
  • top dressing.

In the first 2 years after planting, the seedling should be covered for the winter with burlap to protect it from the cold. Mature bushes are fairly easy to tolerate negative temperature. If the winter is severe and frost damages the branches, they are pruned with the onset of spring to healthy buds.

Barberry responds very well to mulching

Barberry - fast growing shrub, which is recommended to be trimmed regularly in spring or autumn. This will allow not only to remove the skeletal branches located in the central part of the bush, leading to its excessive thickening, but also to give a beautiful decorative shape with the help of a haircut. The first pruning is done a year after planting, removing half or two-thirds of the growth of the branch. The best time to trim your barberry hedge is June and August.

Attention! Some varieties of barberry have sharp spikes, so when caring for them, protect your hands with strong gloves. Regular watering (once every 4-7 days) is required only when the soil dries up in a dry hot weather and newly planted plants.

Fertilizer and top dressing of barberry bushes

Barberry does not need too frequent feeding. The first feeding of the plant is carried out a year after planting, then every 3-4 years. In the spring they are brought nitrogen fertilizers(for 1 bush it dissolves in 10 liters of water 20-30 g of urea), in autumn - phosphorus, potassium (15 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potassium salt per 1 plant), organic fertilizers. It is good to combine these preparations with trace elements.

In July, plants can be fertilized with the Kemira-universal complex preparation at a concentration of 15 g per 10 liters. Nitrogen fertilizers - ammonium nitrate, urea contribute to powerful growth, the formation of leaves and stems of seedlings, potash and phosphorus provide abundant flowering and fruiting of bushes.

barberry seeds

Reproduction of barberry

At propagating barberry seeds, they are separated from the stone, kept for 3-5 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Dried seeds are buried in the ground by 1-2 cm, with the advent of spring, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving a distance of 3 cm or more between them. After 2 years, seedlings can be transplanted to another place. When spring sowing seeds, they must first be stratified: mixed with sand and placed in the refrigerator for 2-5 months. The stratification temperature should be between 2-5 ºC. In order for the plants to bear fruit in a few years, several specimens must be placed side by side, as this is a cross-pollinated shrub.

cuttings produced in the morning in the middle of July. The preparation of the cuttings consists in removing the lower leaves, shortening the upper leaves by 2 times and placing them in an aqueous solution of heteroauxin or other root former for 3-5 hours. After washing with water, the cuttings are planted in a greenhouse. The soil should consist of equal parts of soddy soil, humus and peat, to which a small amount of sand is added. Within two weeks, the greenhouse is regularly ventilated and the soil is moistened, and when the cuttings are fully rooted, the film is removed.

Young plant ready for planting permanent place

For breeding barberry layering in the spring, a powerful annual shoot is selected in the lower part of the bush, bends down, fits and fixes in a small groove, which is covered with earth in such a way that only top part branches. By the end of the season, the layering will be able to take root, it is separated from the bush and transplanted.

Diseases and pests affecting barberry

The most dangerous insects for barberry are moth, aphids and sawflies. Signs of damage to the aphid plant are drying and wrinkling of the leaves. The pest can be eliminated by spraying the bushes with soapy water (300 g are taken per 10 liters of water). laundry soap). Other pests can be destroyed with a 1-3% solution of chlorophos.

Powdery mildew on barberry leaves

Also, barberry can be affected by fungal diseases, for example, powdery mildew, as seen in the photo, leaf spot, rust and other diseases. To destroy pathogens powdery mildew the bush needs to be treated with 1% solution of colloidal sulfur, cut off diseased branches and burn. If the plant is affected by rust, it should be treated three times with 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid or colloidal sulfur once a week. In case of spotting disease, copper oxychloride (30-40 g per 10 l of water) is used twice before the flowers bloom and at the end of flowering. Plants affected by fungal wilt are treated with copper oxychloride or Bordeaux liquid. If a bacteriosis occurs, manifested by cracks and tumors on the stems, it is necessary to cut off the diseased shoot, capturing the healthy part of the plant and burn it, and spray the bush with Bordeaux liquid or its analogue.

Rust

By planting a barberry in your backyard, you can get great pleasure from the amazing beauty of this plant, create beautiful compositions using its branches, densely strewn with fruits, as well as using berries for cooking many dishes and medicinal tinctures.

Barberry for the garden: video

Growing barberry: photo




Barberries are distributed mainly in the mountains of the Northern Hemisphere. The genus includes about 175 species, some of these species are introduced into the culture.

Description of barberry

Barberry is a deciduous or prickly evergreen shrub with simple, alternate, rarely leathery leaves. Barberry thorns are modified leaves, sometimes from which only one midrib remains, which has become a thorn. In the axil of such "leaves" shortened shoots develop, so the leaves sit in bunches.

The leaves of the barberry on the shoots of the current year are arranged singly, in a spiral. Flowers golden yellow, small, fragrant, in numerous corymbose or racemose inflorescences. The fruits are varied in color and shape.

Almost all barberries are very decorative and are used in hedges, in group or single plantings, and undersized species barberry - on rocky hills.

foliage coloring varietal barberries are very diverse and not only green. It is purple, yellow, mottled. Moreover, among the bushes of barberries there are dwarfs and giants.

They are beautiful not only as decorative leafy plants, but they also bloom very beautifully. Small flowers resembling spherical bells, either singly or in inflorescences, literally completely cover the branches from mid-May. Their color is usually yellow, sometimes orange with the inclusion of red hues.

barberry care

In too hot weather, barberry flowers exude a tart, sweetish aroma. Each petal of the barberry bears 2 nectaries that secrete transparent drops that attract insects. Barberries bloom and bear fruit not only in the sun, but also in partial shade. Barberry is an excellent honey plant. Along with buckwheat, flower, linden, there is also barberry honey.

Barberry perfectly tolerates the conditions of the city. It is unpretentious to the soil, drought-resistant, does not tolerate stagnant moisture, develops best in the light.

In the garden, we pay attention not only to the height of the bush and the color of the leaves, but also its shape is very important. As a rule, dwarf barberries have a dense compact hemispherical crown shape. Barberries are tall - spreading shrubs with drooping branches. For the barberry, you yourself can come up with the size and shape, having achieved this with a haircut. They make beautiful figures, for example, spherical shape. Do not be afraid to cut barberries, this is an interesting activity, you can do it almost at any time of the year.

The autumn color of barberries is charming, especially the green-leaved barberry, its foliage becomes orange-purple, and purple-leaved barberries in autumn period they turn red and are also good, yellow-leaved barberries almost do not change in autumn. Barberry bushes, after falling leaves until spring, are decorated with scarlet berries.

In the first few years, barberries are covered for the winter with dry foliage, peat or spruce branches. The barberry propagates by dividing the bush, seeds, summer cuttings and root offspring.

Types and varieties of barberry

Barberry Thunberg

It grows on the open mountain slopes of China and Japan. The most beautiful of deciduous barberries, with horizontally densely branching shoots, in young age arcuately deviated, bright red, yellowish, purple-red, later purple - brown or brown. Spines about 1 cm long, thin, elastic and simple. The leaves are small, about 3 cm, graceful, oblong or obovate, tapering towards the base and turning into a short petiole, bright green above and gray below. In autumn, they turn bright red, fall off in October. Thunberg barberry flowers are single or in bunches of 5, yellow inside, reddish outside, bloom for about 8-12 days. The fruits are shiny, coral-red, elliptical in shape, about 1 cm long, ripening in autumn and not falling off for a long time. Unfortunately, the fruits of the Thunberg barberry are bitter because they contain a lot of alkaloids, they are unsuitable for food, but they are an excellent food for wintering birds.

AT harsh winters the non-lignified part of the shoots of the Thunberg barberry freezes over. To the soil, this type of barberry is undemanding, drought-resistant. Handles a haircut very well.

Barberry Thunberg It has decorative forms: multi-flowered - about 10 flowers in the inflorescence; dark purple - with dark purple foliage; silver-edged shape -on the edge sheet with a silver border.

Below are the characteristics of the most famous varieties.

Barberry Thunberg "Atropurpurea"("Atropurpurea") - a bush 1.5 meters high, the leaves remain purplish-brown all season. Vegetation barberry Thunberg "Atropurpurea" begins in late April and until October.

Grows very slowly. Blooms in June, about 12 days. The fruits of the barberry Thunberg "Atropurpurea" ripen in early October.

Barberry Thunberg "Aurea"("Aurea") - bush 0.8 m tall, crown diameter 1 m. Rounded crown. Young shoots of barberry Thunberg "Aurea" are yellowish-green. The leaves of this barberry are lemon yellow to golden yellow in color.

Their autumn color is yellow-orange. Barberry Thunberg "Aurea" blooms in May. The flowers are 1 cm in diameter, they are red on the outside, they are yellow inside, collected in bunches or brushes. The fruits are shiny, bright red, ripening in late September.

Barberry Thunberg "Golden Ring"("Golden Ring") - bush 3 m high. Rounded crown. The leaves of the barberry Thunberg "Golden Ring" are ovate, 4 cm long, yellow-bordered, dark purple-red.

Foliage is intensely red in autumn. Barberry Thunberg "Golden Ring" blooms in May. The flowers are red on the outside and yellow on the inside. The fruits are shiny, coral-red, ripening in early October.

Barberry Thunberg "Bagatelle"(‘Bagatelle") is a charming low shrub in height and a crown diameter of 0.4 meters. The crown is low, compact. The annual growth of barberry Thunberg "Bagatelle" is 2 cm. Its bark is red-brown.

The foliage of this barberry is ovoid, 1.5 cm long, in summer period brownish and scarlet-red in autumn. The fruits are shiny, bright red, edible, ripening in October. Barberry Thunberg "Bagatelle" freezes heavily, but is easily restored by the beginning of June.

Barberry Thunberg "Green Carpet"("Green Carpet") - bush 1 meter high, crown diameter 1.5 meters. The bark of barberry Thunberg "Green Carpet" is brown-yellow. The spikes are tripartite. In summer, the leaves are light green, in autumn they are scarlet-red.

This variety of barberry blooms in May. Flowers yellow inside, red outside. The fruits of barberry Thunberg "Green Carpet" are pink or red.

Barberry Thunberg "Rose Glow"("Rose Glow") - bush 1.5 m tall. Young foliage is mottled pink-white and bronze-red, older foliage is dark pink and red-purple.

The yellow flowers of Thunberg's "Rose Glow" barberry appear in May and stand out very effectively against the background of variegated foliage. A very colorful bush.

Barberry Thunberg "Atropurpurea Nana"("Atropurpurea Nana") - a bush 0.5 meters high. The crown is cushion-shaped, compact. The bark of this variety of barberry is reddish-brown. On the shoots of the barberry Thunberg "Atropurpurea Nana" there are tripartite thorns. Leaves are 2 cm long, ovate, purple-red, scarlet-red in autumn.

This variety blooms in May. Flowers 1 cm in diameter, yellow inside, red outside. The fruits are shiny, bright red, ripening in early October.

Barberry Thunberg "Harlequin"("Harlequin") - bush 1.5 m in height. Young shoots are red. The leaves of the barberry Thunberg "Harlequin" are red with white, and maybe with pink spots.

appear in May yellow flowers and look spectacular against the backdrop of variegated foliage. Barberry Thunberg "Harlequin" resembles "Rose Glow", but with a different color of leaves and variegated spots.

The varieties of barberries described above are not winter-hardy, however, when they are planted in places closed from the wind, as well as sheltering young plants for the winter with spruce branches and foliage, they safely survive in middle lane Russia.

In nature, it grows throughout southern and central Europe, reaching the Volga itself, as well as the North Caucasus.

Common barberry is a branchy shrub with brownish-gray shoots, with elliptical, dark green above, gray-green leaves below, membranous, thin. Brilliant yellow flowers of common barberry with a honey aroma are collected in racemose inflorescences about 6 cm long. Flowering lasts about 13-20 days. Bright red numerous fruits adorn the shrub for a long time.

growing common barberry fast, undemanding to the soil, prefers light loam, very resistant to city conditions, tolerates shearing. bright coloring autumn leaves, lush yellow flower clusters and bright coloring of fruits, the common barberry is put in the ranks of the most ornamental shrubs for creating borders, hedges, group and single landings.

Ottawa barberry

The Ottawa barberry is one of the most spectacular representatives of this genus, about 2 m high. It resembles the Thunberg barberry, but is taller; on the leaves, painted throughout the season in a dark purple color, closer to the purple-leaved form of the common barberry.

AT autumn season leaves are painted in crimson, bright colors. Ottawa barberry is very popular due to its winter hardiness and unpretentiousness.

Only two varieties are popular with Ottawa barberry: "" Superba and Aurikom".

Barberry Ottawa "Superba"("Superba") - leaves are rounded about 5 cm long, red in summer with a bluish bloom. Autumn color - different shades orange and red. Ottawa barberry "Superba" blooms in May.

The flowers of this barberry are yellow-red, collected in racemose inflorescences, 5 cm long. The fruits are bright red, ripening in early October.

Ottawa barberry "Aurikoma"("Aurikoma") - a shrub 2 m high, in summer with rounded juicy red leaves, and in autumn - orange, 5 cm long. Ottawa barberry "Aurikoma" blooms in May.

The flowers of the barberry "Aurikom" are yellow-red, which are collected in racemose inflorescences 5 cm long. The fruits are bright red.

It grows on rocky soil in Japan, China and Primorye, along the edges of forests and along the banks of mountain rivers.

Low-branched shrub, with a spreading crown. When young, the shoots are yellowish, then gray, with yellowish, tripartite spines 2 cm long. Large, simple, shiny leaves obovate, finely serrated along the edge. In summer and spring they are bright green, in autumn they are golden red or just red. Light yellow flowers of the Amur barberry with an exquisite aroma are collected 10 in dense, racemose inflorescences.

Flowering lasts about 17-20 days. The fruits of the Amur barberry are edible, 1 cm in size, shiny, bright red, rarely pink, and remain on the branches for a long time.

Less other species of the genus barberry are affected by rust. Amur barberry is easily propagated by layering, seeds, cuttings, root offspring.

drought-resistant, winter-hardy and heat-resistant. Due to the large leaves, the beautiful shape of the bush, lush flowering and fruiting, it is recommended for group and single plantings, for hedges.

Gardeners use this unpretentious plant mainly to create. However, it is not worth limiting the possibilities of this shrub in this way, since many absolutely belong to the genus Barberry. different types and varieties, each of which is unique in its own way.

We can safely say that "talent" (Berberis) on the garden scene is greatly underestimated. As a rule, in the plots you can see only one type of this plant - whose destiny is to act as a hedge. And its use is really justified, because this shrub about 2 m high is hardy, grows well both in the sun and in openwork shade and, most importantly, tolerates it well. But after all, the same Thunberg barberry has a lot of very beautiful varieties, not to mention other types of barberry, which many of us simply do not know about. Well, how not to correct this unfortunate injustice? So, get acquainted: red-leaved dandy barberry "Atropurpurea", golden yellow" Golden Torch", variegated with a marble pattern " Rose Glow" deserve to take pride of place in any garden.

At night, frost covered the oval leaves of Thunberg's barberry "Atropurpurea" with sparkling ice crystals.

Barberry Thunberg "Atropurpurea"

In winter, when the barberry "Atropurpurea" has shed its leaves, its branches are still decorated with scarlet fruits.

Barberry "Atropurpurea" in winter

After the rain, the fruits and leaves of the Thunberg barberry (Berberis thunbergii) "Rose Glow" glisten in the sun.

In the autumn, its leaves look especially beautiful, taking on a marbled color in pink, red and white.

In the midst of autumn, the barberry "Red Chief", and arrange a bright colorful show.

Barberry "Red Chief", tannery and asters

Barberry "Golden Torch" captivates with bright yellow foliage. Thanks to his short stature(only 1 m) it is suitable for planting in a mixed herbaceous flower garden.

Barberry "Golden Torch"

Under a fluffy cap of snow, the dark red leaves of barberry remaining on the branches look especially catchy.

Due to the compactness of the crown and the height of only 1 m, barberries of these varieties are excellent for planting in large flower beds. Surrounded by flowering herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses, they will become structure-forming components, even in winter, when the shrubs shed their luxurious leaves.

Our market will help you choose barberry seedlings - an illustrated catalog of goods from the largest online stores. .

Barberry Thunberg Rosetta (leaf burgundy with pink and white marbling) 269 ​​rub LOOK
Agrofirm Search

Barberry Thunberg Atropurpurea Nana 449 rub LOOK
Agrofirm Search

Barberry Thunberg Golden Ring 269 ​​rub LOOK
Agrofirm Search

Barberry Thunberg Lutin Rouge 449 rub LOOK
Agrofirm Search



For your site, even meter bushes are too big? There are "barberries" for this case, their height is only 30–40 cm. These minnows include the barberry of the Thunberg red-leaved dwarf varieties"Nana" and "Bagatelle".

Barberry boxwood "Nana"

Advice: where fungal diseases and moths are mercilessly exterminated, this type of barberry can be an excellent alternative to it. However, in regions with a cold climate in severe winters, it can freeze slightly - be sure to take note of this.

Barberries have another nice bonus: in spring, shrubs are able to please with magnificent flower decoration. Small yellow flowers open in May-June depending on the species. And when combined with the dark red leaves of the Thunberg barberry, they form a magnificent contrast. And in autumn, these shrubs are hung with red (in some species black) fruits, which look advantageous primarily in deciduous barberries - but only until our feathered friends fly in for a portion of vitamins in winter.

Evergreen beauties for a flower garden

Along with deciduous barberries, such as Thunberg's barberry, there are also evergreen species. We have already mentioned one of them. This is barberry boxwood (Berberis buxifolia) "Nana"- dwarf shrub only 50 cm high. It is perfect for low hedges.

With a height of 1.5 m, it remains compact barberry Frikarta (Berberis frikartii) "Amstelveen".

Barberry Frikarta "Amstelveen"

It grows mainly in partial shade, as well as barberry Gagnepeyna (Berberis gagnepainii) "Klugowski", the branches of which, as they grow, picturesquely slope to the ground.

Barberry Gagnepein "Klugowski"

Perfect for thick, meter-high hedges gray-white barberry (Berberis candidula) "Jytte" with a dense cushion-shaped crown.

Barberry gray-white "Jytte"

healing plant

have been used in . However, the dried roots and bark of this shrub are still used. Tea made from them helps with digestive problems, as well as diseases of the liver and gallbladder.

However, be careful: the alkaloids contained in the plant in case of kidney problems can provoke a deterioration in health. But red, vitamin-rich fruits can be safely used for food, as well as cooked from them and. In dry form, sour berries can be added to muesli. And Tatya will tell about the cosmetic properties of barberry.

In the article we discuss the common barberry. You will learn what the shrub looks like and where it grows. We will talk about medicinal properties plants, as well as discuss the care and cultivation of barberry in the garden. We will look at recipes for herbal medicines that help with pancreatitis, diabetes, adenoids and high blood pressure. We will tell you whether it is possible to use barberry-based products during pregnancy and consider contraindications for use.

Barberry ordinary or barberry oriental - deciduous shrub family Barberry (lat. Berberidaceae). The Latin name is Berberis vulgaris. The plant is known as sour, berberis, sour blackthorn.

What does it look like

Appearance of the common barberry. The thorny shrub reaches a height of 2.5 meters. Barberry rhizome lignified, creeping. The bark of the barberry is light brown on the outside, dark yellow on the inside.

The branches of the plant are spreading and covered with thorns. Shoots erect yellow or yellow-purple. Leaves grow on short shoots, spines on long shoots.

The leaves are alternate, narrowed towards the base. They have the shape of an ellipse with a rounded or pointed top. There are small teeth along the edges of the leaves. The leaf plate reaches 4 cm in length and 2 cm in width.

Inflorescence brushes unite from 15 to 25 small yellow flowers. Each flower consists of an orange nectary, 6 petals, 6 sepals, 1 pistil and 6 stamens. It blooms in late spring - from April to May.

The buds of the plant are small, up to 1 cm long. They have smooth surface and pointed shape. Barberry berries are oblong, bright red in color, sour in taste. The length of the fetus reaches 12 mm. It bears fruit in early autumn - from September to October.

The seeds of the plant are flattened, no more than 7 mm long.

Where does it grow

In the wild, barberry grows throughout Europe, Asia and the Caucasus. It is found in the European part of Russia and the North Caucasus.

The shrub prefers light and dry areas of soil. The plant is found in the steppes, meadows and edges. Barberry grows in chalk and pebble areas.

Landing and care

Barberry is cultivated in summer cottages and household plots. Planted as single bushes or as a hedge. One of the most unusual and colorful varieties is the barberry thunberga atropurpurea.

Planting and caring for shrubs have their own characteristics. Barberries are planted in the spring open areas. The plant is not afraid of windy weather. For planting barberry, a trench method is used. The depth and width of the moat is 40 cm.

A layer of sand and humus is laid at the bottom of the trench, then watered, and only after that a seedling is placed there, sprinkled with earth.

The first pruning of the shrub is carried out immediately after planting.

In dry weather, the plant must be watered once a week, during the rainy season, watering is canceled. Young seedlings are watered more often - 2 times a week, until they take root.

For more information about barberry, see the following video:

Leaf and root of barberry

Barberry has been used since ancient times as a medicinal plant for the treatment of diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary system and upper respiratory tract. The leaves and roots of the plant are used in the preparation of medicines.

Chemical composition

Barberry ordinary contains:

  • berberine;
  • palmitin;
  • vitamins;
  • tannins;
  • oxyacanthin;
  • carotene;
  • resinous substances;
  • organic acids;
  • tocopherols.

Medicinal properties

The medicinal properties of medicinal plants, including barberry, are studied by the science of pharmacognosy. With the help of it, it was found that the barberry has

  1. antimicrobial,
  2. antipyretic,
  3. anti-inflammatory
  4. astringent properties.

Thanks to the berberine that is part of the plant, barberry-based products have a choleretic effect. They also reduce the tone of the gallbladder.

Barberry is used as an anesthetic, as well as to stop bleeding - berberine increases blood clotting. Hemostatic agents with it are used to stop postpartum hemorrhage.

Barberry exhibits antibacterial and antispasmodic properties. Plant-based preparations are used to treat inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, dysentery.

Means based on barberry stop the development of cancerous tumors.

Barberry has a mild laxative effect and is also used as a diuretic. Barberry dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Based on the plant, medicinal infusions and decoctions are made.

How to collect

They start picking berries when they are not yet ripe. Unripe fruits retain their shape better. The bark of the plant is harvested in April and May. From the beginning of flowering until mid-summer, barberry flowers are harvested. The roots are harvested 2 times a year - in spring and autumn.

Barberries are dried at a temperature of no more than 50 degrees under a canopy or in a ventilated room and stored in fabric bags in a room with low humidity.

Shelf life - 3 years.

How to apply

Barberry is used in regular and traditional medicine. Dry root can be bought at any pharmacy. At home, medicinal raw materials are made medicinal infusions and decoctions. They are used as an antipyretic and choleretic agent for the treatment of diseases of the gallbladder, with dysentery and colds.

An infusion of the plant is used to treat inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract.

Barberry tincture normalizes metabolism and improves appetite. The drug is used to treat diseases of the liver and kidneys. The tincture eliminates liver intoxication and reduces its swelling.

With gout and rheumatism, the antiseptic and tonic properties of the plant help.

A decoction of barberry reduces the spleen enlarged during malaria.

In gynecology, barberry tincture is often used to stop uterine bleeding. The drug increases blood clotting.

Pharmaceutical drugs are produced from barberry. For example, berberine is prescribed for cholecystitis. Basic active ingredient which is berberine bisulfate. It is extracted from the leaves of barberry.

Preparations based on barberry stop the growth of cancerous tumors.

Rinsing the mouth with a decoction of barberry eliminates inflammatory process.

Infusion and decoction of the plant is used for lotions for eczema and for wound healing.

Decoction for rinsing with adenoids

Adenoids - inflammation of the adenoids. This disease occurs in children 2 years of age and older. For the treatment of inflamed tonsils in childhood use an infusion of barberry for gargling.

For oral administration homeopathic remedy Barberry Comp Job-baby. This remedy is safe for children, as it contains a low concentration of active ingredients.

Ingredients:

  1. Barberry root - 20 gr.
  2. Water - 500 ml.

How to cook: Pour the barberry root with boiling water, put on a slow fire and simmer under the lid for 5 minutes. Cool the finished broth and strain through cheesecloth.

How to use: Gargle 2-3 times during the day.

Result: The tool relieves inflammation and has an analgesic effect. With regular use eliminates swelling of the adenoids.

Infusion for pancreatitis

For the treatment of diseases of the pancreas, an aqueous infusion of barberry is used. It has a choleretic and analgesic effect. The remedy relieves inflammation and reduces the tone of the walls of the gallbladder.

Ingredients:

  1. Barberry leaves - 10 gr.
  2. Water - 250 ml.

How to cook: Pour boiling water over the grass, put on water bath and bring to a boil. Stir the broth over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the stove, cover, wrap with a towel and let it brew for 2 hours. Strain the cooled infusion through a strainer.

How to use: Take 10 ml 3-4 times a day before meals.

Result: Infusion of barberry relieves inflammation of the pancreas and has a choleretic effect. The tool effectively relieves pain.

Infusion for diabetes

To lower blood sugar levels, you can eat fresh barberry berries or take infusions based on them. The juice of the plant saturates the body with vitamins, improves metabolism and reduces thirst, which often occurs with diabetes.

Ingredients:

  1. Barberry berries - 20 gr.
  2. Water - 500 ml.

How to cook: Grind the barberry berries, put them in a thermos, pour boiling water over it and let it brew for at least 3-4 hours.

How to use: Take an infusion of half a glass before each meal, but no more than 5 times a day.

Result: The infusion strengthens the walls of blood vessels, normalizes metabolism and lowers blood sugar levels.

pressure tincture

Barberry effectively reduces pressure, tones and strengthens blood vessels. Plant-based products are used in complex therapy for hypertension.

Ingredients:

  1. Barberry flowers - 30 gr.
  2. Vodka - 200 ml.

How to cook: Pour plant material into glass jar, pour vodka and put in a dark cool place for two weeks. The finished tincture has Cherry color and sour taste.

How to use: Take 20 drops of tincture 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 3 weeks, then you need to take a break for a week and resume treatment.

Result: Tincture dilates blood vessels, helps lower blood pressure. Regular intake of the drug normalizes blood pressure.

Barberry during pregnancy (breastfeeding)

Barberry has a strengthening effect on the immune system, which is especially important during pregnancy. But despite this, it is strictly forbidden to use any medicines based on barberry during the period of expectation of the baby and during breastfeeding.

The plant contains a large amount of alkaloids that are harmful to the body of a pregnant woman. In addition, barberry stimulates contraction different groups muscles, which can lead to miscarriage.

Preparations based on barberry can cause swelling and lead to the formation of blood clots.

During pregnancy, it is permissible to eat sauces and seasonings based on barberry, but only in moderation.

Barberry in cooking

The barberry leaf and berries of the plant are used in cooking to prepare various dishes. For example, they are added to pilaf, sauces or seasonings.

Barberry is used to make jams and jams. The well-known candies "Barberry" contain the essence of the plant's berries.

Barberry juice has a sour taste and can replace lemon juice. Vitamin compotes are brewed from barberry fruits, and tea is also infused.

Contraindications

Contraindications to taking funds based on barberry:

  • uterine bleeding before separation of the placenta;
  • children's age up to 12 years;
  • period of pregnancy and lactation;
  • individual intolerance;
  • cirrhosis of the liver;
  • cholelithiasis;
  • stomach ulcer.

Do not eat green barberry berries as they are poisonous.

Classification

Common barberry (lat. Berberis vulgaris) is a species of the genus Barberry (lat. Berberis). The Barberry family (lat. Berberidaceae), to which the barberry belongs, unites 19 genera of plants. The common barberry belongs to the order Ranunculaceae (lat. Ranunculales), class Dicotyledonous (lat. Dicotyledones), Flowering department (lat. Magnoliophyta).

Varieties

The genus Barberry unites 580 plant species. The most famous of them:

  • Amur barberry;
  • Barberry ordinary;
  • Barberry purple;
  • Barberry reticulate;
  • Barberry multiflorous;
  • Barberry Wilson;
  • Barberry warty;
  • Barberry hawthorn.

Barberry common infographics

Photo of common barberry, its useful properties and application
Infographics on common barberry

What to remember

  1. Common barberry is used as an ornamental plant, as well as in cooking and as a medicinal raw material for medicinal preparations.
  2. Barberry lowers blood pressure, has choleretic, analgesic and antibacterial effects.
  3. Despite the wide scope, the plant has a number of contraindications that you need to familiarize yourself with.

Barberry - the taste of these berries has been familiar to us since childhood - sucking sweets with the same name, carbonated water "Barberry". But it is unlikely that in childhood we thought about what kind of plant it is, where it grows, what its fruits look like, and whether it can be grown in a garden plot.

This culture belongs to a large species of plants from the Barberry family. Translated from Arabic, this word means "having the shape of a shell." Varieties of this shrub grow mainly in the mountains of the Northern Hemisphere., in total there are over 160 varieties, some of them have been cultivated.

Gardeners grow this plant for its delicious fruits - they make jams, drinks, and are also used as raw materials for the preparation of medicinal preparations.

This culture is also an adornment of any garden plot: barberry foliage has a wide variety of colors - from green to yellow, purple and variegated. Shrubs also differ in size - from miniature bushes (0.3 - 0.4 m in height) to huge three-meter bushes.

Barberry is an adornment of any garden plot

This crop is deciduous, evergreen or semi-evergreen. thorny bushes, whose foliage can be leathery, simple or regular. The spines of this plant are modified foliage, from which, in the process of evolution, only the midrib has survived to this day. In the axils of these spines, stems of small length grow, so the foliage grows in bunches. On the shoots growing in the new season, the foliage grows in a spiral, one by one.

Flowers are small, with pleasant aroma, golden color with a yellow tint or orange with a red tint. They are collected corymbose or racemose inflorescences, but can also be located singly. Petals have a pair of nectaries. The scent of flowers always attracts bees., since this shrub is a wonderful honey plant. The shape of the berries ripening on these shrubs may have a different appearance and color - it depends on the barberry variety.

It can be planted in the city (in parks, squares), it can grow on any type of soil, it is drought-resistant and unpretentious. This shrub is one of the best for creating hedges.

Gallery: barberry (25 photos)



























Useful properties of barberry (video)

Description of species and varieties of barberry

Barberry Thunberg and its varieties

Deciduous variety of barberry with beautiful foliage colors.

Aurea (Aurea)

Dwarf shrub with a rounded crown, about 0.9 m high, the branches are green with a yellow tint. In summer, the foliage is bright lemon or yellow. The flowers are small, yellow, slightly red at the edges.

Atropurpurea Nana (Atropurpurea Nana)

Dwarf shrub (its height is about 0.4 m), the foliage is purple, in autumn they become bright red. The flowers are collected in inflorescences of several pieces, inside they are yellowish, along the edges - a red border.

Also among gardeners, such varieties of Thunberg barberry as Akrlekin, Golden Ring, Coronita, Harlequin and Superba are popular.

The shrub grows in forest-steppes. Bushes with thorns about 2 - 2.5 m high with brown shoots diverging in different sides from the root.

This is hybrid, its "parents" are the Thunberg barberry and the common red-leaved barberry. Its height is 1.8 - 2 m. The foliage is oval, purple throughout the season. small flowers collected in inflorescences (10 pieces each). Their colors are yellow with red edges.

His homeland is Korea. Height - 1.8 - 2 m. Foliage - large, slightly leathery. flowers yellow color with a pleasant aroma, collected in racemose inflorescences.

Plant height - 2 - 2.5 m. Foliage is green with gray tint. Flowers with persistent fragrance, collected in brushes of 8 - 9 pcs.

Bushes with spreading branches, their height - up to 2 m. On the shoots - large spines (about 2.5 cm). The foliage is rigid, has the shape of an ellipse. The flowers are collected in yellow inflorescences. Berries are red.

It grows in eastern North America. The bushes reach a height of 2 - 2.5 m. The shoots are brown and purple, the thorns are tripartite, about 1 cm long. The foliage is oval. The flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences, yellow.

Planting barberry in open ground

Planting this plant is best in early spring, immediately after all the snow has melted and the ground has warmed up. But you need to plant the plants before the leaves begin to appear on the seedlings. But you can start planting barberry at the end of September when the leaves start to fall.

Site selection and preparation

Barberry - very unpretentious shrub, therefore, with the choice of a place where to plant it, there will be no problems. He is not afraid of drafts, hot rays of the sun and gusts of cold wind, so a sunny open place is suitable for him. If only areas in partial shade are free on the garden plot, the barberry will grow well there too. However, a sunny spot is great for species that have purple foliage, which will take on a more vibrant hue in full sun.

These shrubs prefer neutral soil acidity (with a pH of about 7). If the soil is acidic, then lime should be added to it to make the soil more neutral. You can do this during autumn digging, or add lime to the soil before planting. landing pit. The composition of the soil mixture that fills such pits is as follows:

  • humus (or compost) - 10 kg;
  • garden soil - 10 kg;
  • superphosphate - 1 glass;
  • slaked lime - 4 cups;
  • wood ash - 2 cups.

How to propagate barberry (video)

Technology and planting dates

When such plants are planted singly, a distance of 1.6 - 2.0 meters should be observed between seedlings. When they want to create a hedge from a barberry, then by 1 l.m. two bushes are planted.

Planting holes are prepared at least 10 - 14 days before planting seedlings. The dimensions of such a hole are 0.4 by 0.4 m, with a depth of up to 0.45 m. In order to improve the supply of the root system with oxygen, sand 5–6 cm thick must be poured into the bottom of each hole.

If the acidity of the soil is slightly acidic or neutral, then ash and lime are removed from the above composition. Most of this mixture is filled with a pit, then a seedling is placed in it, the roots are carefully spread over the entire diameter of the pit, covered with the remaining soil from above, compacted. Under each seedling should be poured 8 - 10 liters of water and mulch with high-moor peat or rotted compost.

The shoots of the aerial part after planting should be cut about half, leaving no more than 3 buds on each stem.

It is best to plant barberries in early spring, immediately after all the snow has melted and the ground has warmed up.

Barberry care in the garden

Caring for barberry of any variety and species is very easy, even a novice gardener will be able to grow this plant in his garden. After all, care decorative species(whose fruits are too inedible) and behind the barberry with edible berries absolutely the same.

Therefore, knowing how to care for one type of this crop, you can grow any variety of barberry on the site in the future.

Main List agrotechnical measures plant care includes:

  • watering;
  • weed removal;
  • soil loosening in near-stem circles;
  • forming pruning;
  • fertilization.

Caring for barberry of any variety and species is very easy.

Watering

This fruit bush Fairly drought tolerant. So irrigation should be carried out according to a special schedule. If the season is rainy enough, then the plants should not be watered. If the season is hot and dry, then the barberry should be watered every 7 days with water. room temperature directly under the root - splashes of water should not fall on the foliage. With the same frequency, seedlings are also watered until the bushes take root. Much worse for this plant is the rainy season, when too much moisture accumulates in the soil. A large amount of moisture can cause great harm to this shrub.

In addition to watering, you should regularly loosen the soil around the plants, remove weeds. To simplify the care of barberries, you should put a layer of mulch up to 6-7 cm thick under each bush. It will protect the soil from drying out quickly, and weeds will not grow in such places.

Barberry is fairly drought tolerant

top dressing

If fertilizers were applied in full before planting seedlings, then these nutrients a bush is enough for the whole season. On the next year in April or early May, fertilizer is applied under each plant, which includes nitrogen. Usually 1 tablespoon of urea is diluted in 10 liters of water. In every trunk circle 1 bucket of such a solution is introduced. In the future, nitrogen fertilizers are applied to plants no more than once every 3 years.

If barberry varieties are grown for their sake delicious berries, then during the season, you should feed them according to the following scheme:

  • after the bush has faded;
  • at the start of leaf fall.

The composition of such dressings should include 1 teaspoon of potassium salt and 1.5 teaspoons of phosphate fertilizer for each plant.

The most optimal fertilizer, which is sold in specialized stores, is Kemira-universal. It is introduced in the first decade of July, diluting 1.5 teaspoons of the drug in 10 liters of water.

bush pruning

Barberry pruning is usually done in the spring. At the same time, all damaged, dried or frozen shoots are removed. Those branches that thicken the barberry are also removed.

For the first time, a one-year-old bush is to be cut in April - early May. At the same time, all branches are shortened by half (sometimes more). Subsequently, this procedure is carried out twice per season - in the first decade of June and in the first decade of August.

Pruning these bushes is a sanitary procedure, in addition, it is also a formative event. Miniature varieties are usually not pruned.

Barberry pruning is usually done in the spring

Protection against diseases and pests

Usually this fruit crop is damaged fungal diseases such as the:

  • powdery mildew;
  • rust;
  • bacteriosis;
  • leaf spotting;
  • withering.

powdery mildew manifests itself as a white coating on foliage, stems and berries. Fight this disease by treating everything damaged areas colloidal sulfur diluted in water. Heavily damaged areas should be cut off and burned.

Rust affects those shrubs that grow near the fields on which cereal crops are planted. It appears as orange spots on the upper side of the foliage. Severe infection with this disease leads to drying and falling of foliage. The disease should be fought with a 1% solution of colloidal sulfur or Bordeaux liquid. Treatment of diseased bushes should be carried out three times. The first time the treatment is carried out immediately after the foliage blooms, subsequent treatments are carried out every 20 days.

Against spotting spraying with copper oxychloride helps well (1.5 tablespoons of the drug are diluted in a bucket of water). This procedure is carried out before and after flowering.

bacteriosis usually damages the entire aerial part of the plant. If only the tops of the shoots are damaged in a shrub, then the barberry can still be saved - usually the diseased area is cut off completely and burned. But if the lower part of the plant is damaged by this disease, then it can no longer be saved - the shrub is completely uprooted and burned.

Harmful insects that can attack a fruit crop are:

  • barberry aphid;
  • barberry sawfly;
  • flower moth.

The appearance of aphids accompanied by wrinkling and drying of the foliage, and the moth regales itself with edible berries. Helps well against aphids soap solution. And other pests are fought with a 2% solution of chlorophos.

Rust affects those shrubs that grow near fields where cereals are planted.

Preparing the shrub for winter

Before the onset of cold weather, the soil around the bushes is covered with a thick layer of mulching material - peat or sawdust. The layer thickness is at least 10 cm.

Shrubs that are less than 5 years old (especially evergreens) are covered with spruce or pine branches for the winter. big bushes tightly tied with twine, set around it metal mesh(it should be higher than the barberry), dry leaves are poured into the gaps, and the mesh is covered from above with any covering material.

Options for using barberry in landscape design

In landscape design, varieties of this shrub are used with decorative foliage . Species with the same color of foliage, or with different leaves that are combined with each other, can be planted next to each other.

Usually such ornamental plants used to create hedges, or in single plantings.

Barberry breeding methods

Reproduction of this fruit crop possibly in four main ways.

seeds

Seeds are planted directly into the ground, in a specially designated garden bed. Seedlings appear in spring. When they grow 2 - 3 true leaves, the seedlings are thinned out - the distance between them should be 2.5 - 3 cm. Young plants should grow in one place for two seasons, and only then they are transplanted to a permanent place.

Barberry can be propagated by seeds

cuttings

Cuttings are cut from healthy shoots in early summer, the lower leaves are removed, the upper ones are cut off in half. Such parts of the shoots are placed for a couple of hours in solutions that accelerate the formation of roots, then they are planted in a greenhouse, the soil in which consists of equal parts of humus, fertile land and peat. Add ½ part there. river sand. From time to time the greenhouse should be ventilated. Such seedlings are also planted in a permanent place after two seasons.

layering

When propagating by layering from the lower branches, the strongest one-year-old shoot is selected and immersed in a pre-dug ditch, fixed and covered with soil from above. Only the top few leaves of the shoot are left on the surface. A similar procedure is carried out in the spring, and by the beginning of September the shoot will take root, it can be separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a permanent place.

When propagating by layering from the lower branches, the strongest annual shoot is selected and immersed in a pre-dug ditch, fixed and covered with soil on top