Berberis Julianae Bare Root
Berberis julianae, commonly known as Wintergreen Barberry, is an outstanding evergreen shrub that brings year-round interest to your garden. This robust and attractive plant is particularly valued for its dense, spiny foliage, beautiful spring flowers, and ornamental berries, making it an excellent choice for both decorative planting and practical hedging purposes.
Key Features
This hardy shrub is renowned for its glossy, dark green leaves that retain their colour throughout winter, providing valuable structure when many other plants have died back. The foliage is accompanied by sharp spines, making it an excellent choice for security hedging. In late spring, clusters of small, fragrant yellow flowers emerge, filling the air with a subtle, sweet scent. These are followed by attractive blue-black berries in autumn, which provide food for wildlife.
Growing Conditions
Berberis julianae is remarkably adaptable and will thrive in most garden situations. It performs best in full sun to partial shade and isn't particularly fussy about soil type, tolerating anything from clay to sandy soils, provided drainage is reasonable. Once established, it shows good drought tolerance, though it will appreciate watering during prolonged dry spells. Hardy to temperatures well below freezing, this shrub is suitable for growing throughout the United Kingdom.
Size and Growth
This vigorous shrub typically reaches a mature height of 2 to 3 metres with a similar spread, though it can be easily maintained at a smaller size through regular pruning. Growth is moderately fast, making it ideal for establishing hedges or screens within a few years. When planting bare root specimens, you can expect them to settle in quickly during the dormant season.
Planting Your Bare Root Berberis
Bare root plants should be planted between November and March, whilst the plant is dormant. Before planting, soak the roots in a bucket of water for a few hours to rehydrate them. Dig a hole twice the width of the root system and deep enough so that the plant sits at the same depth it was previously growing. Mix some well-rotted compost or manure into the soil to give your plant a good start. Backfill around the roots, firming gently as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly after planting, even if the soil is already moist.
Care and Maintenance
Once established, Berberis julianae requires minimal attention. Water regularly during the first growing season to help establish a strong root system, after which it becomes quite self-sufficient. Apply a general-purpose fertiliser in early spring to encourage healthy growth. Mulching around the base helps retain moisture and suppress weeds, but keep mulch away from the stem itself.
Pruning
Light pruning can be carried out after flowering to maintain shape and encourage bushy growth. For hedges, trim once or twice during the growing season to maintain a neat appearance. Always wear thick gloves when handling this plant, as the spines are remarkably sharp. Any dead, damaged, or crossing branches can be removed in late winter.
Uses in the Garden
This versatile shrub excels in several roles. It makes an impenetrable security hedge or boundary planting, deterring both intruders and unwanted animals. As a specimen shrub, it provides year-round structure and interest. It's also excellent for wildlife gardens, offering shelter for birds and insects, nectar for pollinators, and berries for birds in autumn. The evergreen foliage provides valuable winter cover in mixed borders.
Why Choose Bare Root?
Bare root plants offer excellent value and, when planted during the dormant season, establish just as successfully as container-grown specimens. They're more environmentally friendly, using less plastic and requiring less water during production. Bare root Berberis julianae plants are typically younger and adapt readily to their new position, often outperforming pot-grown alternatives within a couple of seasons.
Bare Root is usually dispatched between early November and late March. Exact dates vary year to year depending on the weather. We cannot guarantee availability for a certain date at the beginning or end of the season.
Important Bare Root Care
As soon as you receive your bare root plants place the items upright in a bucket of clean water immediately leaving them for at least 2 hours. Only take plants out as you need them for planting.
Q: When is bare root season?
A: Our bare root season usually runs from November to March but it can depend on the weather conditions, we'd always recommend buying at the end of autumn rather than waiting for spring.
Q: Does the plant size include the roots?
A: No, all bare root plant sizes quoted exclude the roots.
Q: What size plants will I receive?
A: Stock size varies through the season, our 'Plant Size' are give as a guide and you will receive plants somewhere in that range. We are unable to specify exactly how tall the plants will be within that range.
Q: How old will the plants be?
A: Most of our 'Plant Sizes' include the age of the plant, this is shown as a sum e.g. 1+2 which in this case would indicate that the plants are 3 years old. The first number is how long the plant has spent in the seedbed and the second is the number of year it has spent lined out in the field. Where the sum starts with a 0+ this indicates that the plants were grown from a rooted cutting.
Q: Can I get a discount for bulk purchases?
A: We offer a discount banding on bare root plants making them cheaper the more you buy, see the table on each page for details of the price within each band.
Q: Do I need canes?
A: Bamboo canes are perfect for giving young saplings, hedging plants, climbers and other tall shrubs the support they need when they start to establish. Unless you are planting in a completely sheltered spot with very little chance of wind then we would always recommend using a cane for support.
Q: Do I need rabbit guards?
A: Spiral Rabbit Guards are the most popular, low cost tree protection for young saplings, seedlings, transplants and hedging plants from browsing animals such as voles, mice, rabbits and hares. Spiral Rabbit Guards have the ability to grow and expand with the growing tree, providing a sheltered environment for the tree. It's hard to say for certain if you will require the extra protection a rabbit guard provides, if your are aware of a particular pest problem in your planting location then we would recommend using them. Rabbit Guards are not suitable for 'evergreens' please see 'Shrub Shelters' for a suitable evergreen protection method.
Q: What is a shrub/tree shelter?
A: Shrub/Tree Shelters are similar to rabbit guards but are designed for use on evergreens that would sweat and die in rabbit guards. We supply shrub/tree shelters as a kit which includes the shelter, 1 Stake and 2 cable ties, one kit is required per plant.
Q: Do I need shrub/tree shelters?
A: If you are aware of any specific pest problems in your planting area then we would recommend using a shrub/tree shelter to give your young trees or hedging plants that extra protection.
| Plant Size | Availability | Price | ||
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In stock
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£1.95 |