Aurea Japanese barberry
Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea'
USDA zones4 to 7
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Sizeup to 4 feet tall3 to 5 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Dense
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Bloom color
- Pale yellow
- Fall color
- Yes
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
'Aurea' Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea') is a shrub for hedges and pollinator gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Pale yellow flowers open from early to late spring and attract bees. Birds visit the shrub too, and the dense growth makes a good screen. Deer usually look elsewhere for a meal. The leaves turn a new color in fall.
Pairs well with Indian grass, Common milkweed, and Flowering quince.