• Photo of Berberis verruculosa (Berberis verruculosas)

Plant Profile: Berberis verruculosa

Names

Warty Barberry

  • Photo of Berberis verruculosa (Berberis verruculosas)

Phonetic Spelling:ber-BER-is ver-ruk-yoo-LO-sah

Genus:Berberis

Species:verruculosa

Family:Berberidaceae

This evergreen shrub typically reaches a height of up to 6 feet and features a dense, rounded form. It is a reliable choice for landscaping, as it is easy to transplant and can thrive in various soil types, withstand drought, and adapt to urban environments. Additionally, it is rarely affected by deer, although it does not tolerate overly wet conditions.

Warty Barberry serves well as a specimen plant, hedge, or barrier due to its compact and dense structure, often characterized by arching, spreading branches.

**Quick Identification Tips:**
It flowers in mid-spring, showcasing small, glossy green leaves on the upper side and a whitish hue underneath. These leaves typically remain green or may turn purplish-green to mahogany during the winter months. If not regularly pruned, this plant can become invasive.

It is well-suited for urban settings, hardy in zones 5-7, but does not tolerate extreme heat. Fortunately, it is generally free from pests and diseases.

Berberis verruculosa Feature Summary

Berberis verruculosa Image Gallery

Tags

#purple
#gold
#evergreen
#yellow
#full sun tolerant
#drought tolerant
#perennial
#specimen
#shrub
#purple leaves
#yellow flowers
#winter interest
#barrier
#hedges
#gold flowers
#deer browsing plant
#deer resistant
#golden
#black fruits
#fantz
#purple fruits
#urban conditions tolerant
#spiny
#partial shade tolerant

Similar Plants

Berberis verruculosa is often confused with:

Berberis verruculosa Feature Summary

Attributes
tolerates range of soil types; drought tolerant; seldom damaged by deer; tolerates urban conditions
Fruit
This plant has 0.3-inch fruit that is violet-black with a bloom, ovoid berry.
Purple/Lavender
Black
Flowers
This plant has golden-yellow flowers. 2-5, yellow, 1/2", borne on long pedicels. Inflorescence in subumbellate racemes.
Gold/Yellow
Orange
< 1 inch
Leaves
This plant has alternate, simple, leathery, and dark green leaves that are 0.5-1.5 inches long. Leaves taper at both ends, and the margins are slightly spiny toothed. They may become purplish-green or mahogany in winter. Elliptic or ovate to ovate-lanceolate, margins remotely spiny-toothed and recurved, glabrous, dark green above, glaucous and tomentose underneath, clustered on dwarf shoots in spine axil.
Green
White
Elliptical
Ovate
Lanceolate
1-3 inches
Smooth
Leathery
Stem
Rounded, light brown, covered with tiny, dark brown excrescences, imparting a rough texture to bark; spines are slender, 3-parted, less than 1" long.
Brown/Copper
Whole Plant Traits
Arching
Rounded
Dense
Spreading
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
9a
9b
10a
10b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Winter Garden
Cottage Garden
Border
Hedge
Specimen
Barrier
Security
Drought
Deer
Urban Conditions

Berberis verruculosa Attributes

Berberis verruculosa: Country Or Region Of Origin

Native to China

Berberis verruculosa: Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)

tolerates range of soil types; drought tolerant; seldom damaged by deer; tolerates urban conditions

Berberis verruculosa: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Berberis verruculosa Fruit

Berberis verruculosa: Fruit Description

This plant has 0.3-inch fruit that is violet-black with a bloom, ovoid berry.

Berberis verruculosa: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Berberis verruculosa: Fruit Color

grass
Black
grass
Purple/Lavender

Berberis verruculosa: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Berberis verruculosa Flowers

Berberis verruculosa: Flower Description

This plant has golden-yellow flowers. 2-5, yellow, 1/2", borne on long pedicels. Inflorescence in subumbellate racemes.

Berberis verruculosa: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow
filter_vintage
Orange

Berberis verruculosa: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Berberis verruculosa: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Berberis verruculosa Leaves

Berberis verruculosa: Leaf Description

This plant has alternate, simple, leathery, and dark green leaves that are 0.5-1.5 inches long. Leaves taper at both ends, and the margins are slightly spiny toothed. They may become purplish-green or mahogany in winter. Elliptic or ovate to ovate-lanceolate, margins remotely spiny-toothed and recurved, glabrous, dark green above, glaucous and tomentose underneath, clustered on dwarf shoots in spine axil.

Berberis verruculosa: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Berberis verruculosa: Leaf Color

spa
Green
spa
White

Berberis verruculosa: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Berberis verruculosa: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Berberis verruculosa: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Berberis verruculosa: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Berberis verruculosa: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Berberis verruculosa: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Berberis verruculosa: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Berberis verruculosa Stem

Berberis verruculosa: Stem Description

Rounded, light brown, covered with tiny, dark brown excrescences, imparting a rough texture to bark; spines are slender, 3-parted, less than 1" long.

Berberis verruculosa: Stem Color

grass
Brown/Copper

Berberis verruculosa: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Berberis verruculosa Whole Plant Traits

Berberis verruculosa: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Berberis verruculosa: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Berberis verruculosa: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Berberis verruculosa: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Berberis verruculosa: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Berberis verruculosa: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Berberis verruculosa: Appendage

Prickles
Spines
Tendrils
Thorns

Berberis verruculosa Cultural Conditions

Berberis verruculosa: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Berberis verruculosa: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Berberis verruculosa: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Berberis verruculosa: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Berberis verruculosa: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Berberis verruculosa Landscape

Berberis verruculosa: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Berberis verruculosa: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Berberis verruculosa: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Berberis verruculosa: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland