Japanese barberry 'Crimson Pygmy'

Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring. Remove dead stems, and prune to shape after flowering. Cut back so inner branches do not die.Thrives in Acid Soil. Susceptible to Black Spot and Root Rot.

Plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Crimson Pygmy is thought of as hardy, so this plant will grow or become dormant during the winter.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Crimson Pygmy is a hardy plant.

Native to Japan and eastern Asia, Barberries are named for their sharp barbs or thorns on the twigs. The species was named for the first botanist to name the Asian forms, C.P. Thunberg who was in the east in 1784, but the species did not reach the west until a century later. Even then the first purple variety was not recorded until the 20th century by M. Renault of France around the time of World War I. Purple foliage led to vastly increased breeding in England and America.¹

¹ Monrovia