Berberis thunbergii 'Orange Sunrise'

Berberis thunbergii ‘Orange Sunrise‘ - Japanese Barberry 'Orange Sunrise‘

General:
The japanese barberry is a medium-tall, multi-shoot shrub that occurs naturally in China and Japan. It was brought to Europe by the botanist Carl Peter Thunberg in the 18th century. The japanese barberry is a maximum of 3 meters high and usually just as wide. The leaves are fresh green, small and have a splendid autumn color. The flowers are yellow and reddish in clusters and coral-red, elliptical fruits are formed that still hang on the plant in winter. The japanese barberry is very robust, tolerates pruning and is frost hardy.

Care as a bonsai:
As a bonsai, the barberry is particularly suitable because of its dense branching, the small leaves, the flowers, the fruits and the autumn color. The topiary and repotting is done in the spring before the leaves emerge. The maintenance pruning (shortening the fresh shoots) is repeated continuously during the growth period depending on the growth. Wiring the plant is not easy due to the thorns, but it makes sense. The barberry has many fine roots and should be repotted regularly to avoid soil compaction.

Special features of the variety:
The “Orange Sunrise” variety offers an impressive play of colours. It sprouts salmon red in spring, forms orange-red foliage over the summer and intensifies these colours again in autumn. Then there are the small, delicate flowers in April and May and the bright berries in September.