Colorful Alternatives to Barberry

Colorful Alternatives to Barberry

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What To Do When Barberry Is Restricted In Your State

Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a popular choice for landscapes and gardens thanks to its bright color, deer resistance, and easy care. However, it can be invasive in some areas, which is why shipment is restricted to some states. If you live in a state where barberry is restricted, here are some alternatives you’ll love just as much (or more).

Ginger Wine® Ninebark

(Physocarpus opulifolius)

This shrub shines in the landscape all season with orange foliage in spring and burgundy foliage in summer and fall. Clusters of small white flowers cover the entire plant in the spring and give way to bright red seed-heads. Plus, it’s native and deer resistant!

Close up of Ginger Wine Nineback with white blooms floating above burgundy foliage
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the Summer Wine Ninebark's dark burgundy foliage stands out amongst a backdrop of lush green plants
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Summer Wine® Black Ninebark

(Physocarpus opulifolium)

Summer Wine® Black Ninebark deserves a spot in your garden with dramatic foliage and a handsome upright habit. Soft pink spring flowers contrast nicely with the dark foliage.

Kodiak® Black Diervilla

(Diervilla rivularis)

Kodiak® Black Diervilla is a super durable native shrub with effortless good looks! Foliage emerges dark purple-black in spring and all summer. It’s more shade tolerant than barberry.

Close up of the dark purple-black leaves of the Kodiak Black Diervilla
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Close up of the orange-red foliage that surrounds delicate soft-yellow clusters of flowers on the Kodiak Orange Diervilla
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Kodiak® Orange Diervilla

(Diervilla x)

Kodiak® Orange Diervilla is a low maintenance native shrub that is packed with color! It boasts vivid orange foliage from spring through fall. Bright yellow flowers attract pollinators in summer.

Midnight Wine Shine™ Weigela

(Weigela florida)

Midnight Wine Shine™ Weigela offers the darkest foliage of any weigela. It’s almost black! Leaves emerge with a distinctive wavy edge that also provides great texture. Plant this unique weigela from Proven Winners as a ground cover, edging, or container plant.

Midnight Wine Weigelas create mounds of dark purple-black foliage against an otherwise lush green garden
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Close up of the vibrant tubular pink flowers against the dark purple foliage of the Wine & Roses Weigela
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Wine & Roses Weigela

Wine & Roses Weigela doesn’t only have colorful foliage, but vibrant flowers as well! This sun-loving, deer resistant, flowering shrub is showier than barberry and nearly as easy to grow.

Tiny Wine® Gold Ninebark

(Physocarpus opulifolius)

Everything about Tiny Wine® Gold Ninebark is tiny, from a dwarf, landscape-friendly habit to small golden leaves and little flowers. It’s deer resistant, easy to grow, and best of all… native!

Tiny Wine Gold Ninebark with cherry yellow foliage covered with soft pink and white flowers
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Close up of the Glow Girl Birchleaf Spirea's crisp white flowers that top yellow-green foliage
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Glow Girl® Birchleaf Spirea

(Spiraea betulifolia)

Glow Girl® Birchleaf Spireahas a dense, petite habit making it perfect for a variety of landscape applications. It may not be as deer-resistant as barberry, but it makes up for that with showy flowers. Pretty red buds open to bright white flower clusters!

Double Play Big Bang® Spirea

(Spiraea x)

Vibrant gold new foliage and the largest pink flowers of any Japanese spirea make this one to add to your must-have list. Add durability, deer resistance, and its low care needs into the mix, and you’ve got yourself a perfect shrub!

Double Play Big Bang Spirea creates a large rounded hedge of yellow-green foliage sprinkled with big pink blooms
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Rounded Double Play Candy Corn Spirea with Orange and yellow foliage
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Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea

(Spiraea japonica)

Double Play® Candy Corn® Spirea offers an ever-changing medley of foliage color, from reds to orange and yellow; this deciduous shrub is a welcome color in the landscape, which is often dominated by green. It’s low maintenance, deer & rabbit resistant, and adaptable to most soils.

And it doesn’t stop there! We have a huge selection of shrubs & trees that are all ready to shine in your landscape. 

Written by: Miranda Niemic, click here to read bio.

Questions, comments, or concerns? Let us know! We have an experienced, knowledgeable staff ready to make sure your garden turns out perfect. Or check out our other blogs, here.