Botanical atlas

Japanese Barberry

Berberis thunbergii

Japanese barberry was carried out of Japan in the 1870s as a tidy, thorny substitute for its European cousin, common barberry, after farmers began pulling that plant out for harboring wheat rust. It was never really a folk medicine plant in its own right, its fame was always in the hedgerow, prized for its fiery autumn color and its knack for turning back deer and trespassers alike. That said, it belongs to the same berberine-rich genus as barberries that herbalists have leaned on for centuries, so its chemistry is often mentioned in the same breath as its more medicinally storied relatives, even though this particular species was not traditionally gathered for the home apothecary. Today it is better known to land managers as an aggressive invader than to herbalists as a remedy.

In tradition.

Japanese barberry was carried out of Japan in the 1870s as a tidy, thorny substitute for its European cousin, common barberry, after farmers began pulling that plant out for harboring wheat rust. It was never really a folk medicine plant in its own right, its fame was always in the hedgerow, prized for its fiery autumn color and its knack for turning back deer and trespassers alike. That said, it belongs to the same berberine-rich genus as barberries that herbalists have leaned on for centuries, so its chemistry is often mentioned in the same breath as its more medicinally storied relatives, even though this particular species was not traditionally gathered for the home apothecary. Today it is better known to land managers as an aggressive invader than to herbalists as a remedy.

Safety.

Japanese barberry isn't used medicinally, and its thorny stems call for gloves when handling. It's classified as an invasive species across much of the eastern and midwestern US, and many states restrict planting or selling it.