Those wonderful barberries! 3. Berberis x mentorensis

Love at first sight, again. I bought it in the New Garden some 5-6 years ago as a thirty centimeters high bush, as I was completely fascinated by its Japanese habit. It soon became clear that it also develops well on the heavy soil of our cold, half-shady garden.

The barberry to the left on the picture is an already more or less grown-up bush, but still maintains its beautiful Oriental forms. This feature alone would be enough to make it a first-class bush, but there are two extras as well…

…that is, its autumn colors and its berries that remain on the bush all winter long.

It grows its berries by early autumn. In the beginning they are white, but by late autumn they gradually become red and decorate the bush until early spring. Our bush produces an abundant crop in every year.

height: 150 cm
width: 150-200 cm
lighting: sunny-part shade (At us it is on a rather shadowy spot.)
water demand: At us it grows on a well-irrigated land, but it is said to be drought tolerant. True, the same sources write that it does not regularly produce berries. Perhaps for a good crop it needs good irrigation.
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