Among the variety of species and varieties of barberry, the fruits of two varieties - Ottawa and Thunberg barberry - are conventionally considered edible. The reason is in the specific bitterness (and therefore in the increased content of alkaloids), which limits their use in cooking. But none of the shrubs of the Berberidaceae family can compete with the Thunberg barberries in their decorative properties.
In the barberry plant family, the Thunberg variety (Latin Berberis thunbergii) is the most popular in ornamental gardening. It is a deciduous plant with ribbed branches that have thin thorns. Leaves about 3 cm in size are located on petioles. The flowers are bell-shaped and can be either single or racemose. Small (about 1 cm) shiny elliptical berries are painted in a bright red-coral color. One has only to look at the photograph showing the flowering branches and seeds of a plant, and its topology becomes clear. Deciduous shrub: barberry family, buttercup order, flat-sub class.
Under natural conditions, the Thunberg barberry grows only in the Far Eastern regions, therefore it is often called the Japanese barberry. This is a low (no more than 70 - 90 cm) dense spherical bush. Today, almost everywhere - from Europe to North America - you can find cultivars of this plant. In Russia, the Thunberg barberry was introduced into culture in 1864. For representatives of the local flora, relocated to other countries and naturalized there, the term introduced (or exotic) is used in botany.
Barberry owes its appearance in front gardens, dachas and lawns of country houses to the famous Swedish botanist Karl Peter Thunberg. Tourists who come to the city of Mariefred are proudly told by the local museum guides about their famous countryman.
Thunberg was a follower of Carl Linnaeus and one of the first naturalists to travel from Europe to Japan in order to study and describe the flora he met there. His work (Flora japonica) is recognized as a classic of the world naturalist. But out of all the diversity of the Far Eastern flora, the scientist chose only one unusual plant that especially impressed him, to which he gave his name.
In the barberry community, the Thunberg species has a special role, since it has a whole "bouquet" of merits. This selection variety is more resistant than others to pests and diseases that bother relatives (rust and powdery mildew). The bushes tolerate frost and drought well, are wind-resistant, and are content with a small amount of moisture. Equally well, Japanese exotics grow in the light and in the shade, along the banks of reservoirs and on rocky areas. Due to its versatility (the bushes can not only be given any shape, but also not cut at all), the Thunberg species is the champion of its community in decorativeness. And in terms of the number of varieties and the variety of decorative forms, none of the deciduous barberries can compete with it.
The first cultivated varieties of the outlandish plant introduced by Thunberg to Europe appeared more than a hundred years ago. They were created by famous natural scientists of that time:
- Dark purple (var.atropurpurea) - French botanist Leon Chenot.
- Barberry Maksimovich (var maximowiczii) - scientists of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences Eduard August Regel and Karl Ivanovich Maksimovich.
- Minor (var. Minor) - American dendrologist Alfred Raeder.
Gradually, other decorative forms began to be added to them: multi-flowered (f. Pluriflora), single-flowered (var. Iniflora), silvery-bordered (f. Argenteo-maiginata). At first, the barberry did not have a dozen cultivars. But in the second half of the 20th century, breeders and gardeners began a real "barberry breakthrough". The number of Thunberg barberry varieties exceeded fifty and continued to increase from year to year. Today, there are more than 170 of them in the Plant List, the world classifier of plants.
There are signs by which it is customary to classify all cultivars of a certain type of plant. As for the Thunberg barberries, three main groups are adopted here: according to the growth factor, according to the shape and size of the crown, according to the color of the foliage.
The typical size of a bush for most varieties is 1-1, 2 m. But at the same time they are very diverse in the nature of formation and crown diameter. There are tall barberries reaching 3 meters. The hedges formed from them are very effective. Forms below one meter are considered dwarf. They are most similar to their wild-growing Japanese cousin and are considered especially valuable. Examples of varieties grouped by growth factor:
- Large or tall (from 1.5 to 2-3 meters) - Golden Ring, Atropurpurea, Red Rocket, Cornic, Indian Summer.
- Medium or short (from 1 to 1.5 m) - Silver Beauty, Rose Glow, Green Ornament, Red Chief, Golden Rocket, Red Pillar, Erecta, Red Carpet.
- Dwarf forms (less than 1 m) - Golden Nugget (30-35 cm), Atropurpurea Nana (30-50cm), Bagatelle (40-50cm), Special Gold (40cm), Golden Devine (40cm), Minor (up to 50cm), Kobold (50cm), Gold Bonzana (50cm), Admiration (50cm), Koronita (50cm), Fireball (60cm), Crimson Pigmy (60cm), Golden Dream (50-70cm), Aurea (up to 1m).
The size, density and shape of the crown can be different in bushes:
- Spherical - Kobold, Sunny, Burgundy Caroul.
- Columnar - Maria, F. Maksimovich, Red Rocket, Sheridans Red.
- Narrow Columnar - Electra, Helmond Pilar.
- Vertical with erect branches - Golden Rocket, Erecta, Golden Torch.
- Sprawling - Green Carpet, Starburst, Red Chief.
- Creeping - Ornage Dream, Golden Carpet, Pink Queen, Green Carpet.
- Thick pillow - Globe, Golden Nugget, Golden Carpet, Golden Devine.
The natural variety of Japanese barberry itself is of rare beauty. But decorative varieties created by breeders are even more attractive. They have bright and variably colored foliage. There are three main colors in the color scheme of the bushes - purple, yellow, green. Along with this, there are many options that can combine both shades of the base color and various blotches, streaks, bordering of the leaf, etc.
It is customary to group Thunberg barberry varieties according to their main color:
- Green-leaved - Kobold, Green Ornament, Erecta, Kornik, Green Carpet.
- Yellow-leaved - Aurea, Golden Rocket, Golden Carpet, Tini Gold, Diabolicum, Maria.
- Red-leaved and purple-leaved - Atropurpurea Nana, Bagatelle, Red Chief, Red Carpet, Rose Glow, Admiration.
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There are also varieties with a color derived from the main colors (pink, orange, silver) and multi-colored. They were combined into a subgroup "variegated" - Pink Queen, Golden Ring, Cornick, Harlequin, Rose Grow, Rosetta, Kelleris, Silver Beauty.
variegated barberries
The range of primary colors is present in barberries throughout the garden period. But with the onset of autumn, rainbow tint colors (straw, golden, purple-red, violet, etc.) are added to the palette. The appearance of most bushes at this time reaches the highest effect.
A characteristic feature of Thunberg barberries is that they are able to slightly “chameleon”. The color of the leaves of the same plant can change not only depending on the season, but also as the plant ages. And some varieties react to the amount of ultraviolet light received. The Gelmond Pilar bush is yellow in spring, green in summer, and bright red in autumn. During the blooming period, the color of the barberry Green Ornament is brown-reddish, then turns into yellow-green tones and over time the bush turns orange or yellow-brown. In summer, Aurea, planted in a well-lit area, is completely yellow, while the color of the bush growing in the shade is green.
The common quality of all decorative forms of Thunberg barberry is the purity and richness of tones, which plants are able to maintain from the moment of planting until the leaves fall.
The unpretentiousness of the Japanese barberry (most varieties are undemanding to the soil, tolerate pruning well) makes it easy to grow it in your garden. An exotic bush that easily cope with decorating tasks is ideal for landscaping.
The only drawback of the barberry. Thunberg (as well as other varieties) is considered to be prickly. Although, thanks to the diligence of breeders, there is already a bush devoid of needles - a tall plant of the Thornless, Intermis variety. But most often, invisible under the leaf thorns, interfere with the collection of barberry fruits. But they have been used for food for a long time and are appreciated as a good antiseptic. Barberry, as a food component, has a ratio “proteins-fats-carbohydrates” 0g - 0g –7.9g. The energy value of the product is 30 kcal. Many gardeners make preparations of barberry - dried, dried, frozen, stored in a candied and salted form. Sour fruits harmonize the taste of meat dishes. There is even a joke that real pilaf is “meat, rice and barberry”. In cooking, you can find a lot of interesting step-by-step recipes with photos: jam and marmalade, kvass and compote, liqueurs and sauces made using barberry. In addition to the traditional seasonings that are created with the addition of this sour component, in German cuisine there is one original recipe for a dessert sauce made from fresh barberry berries. It is easy and simple to prepare it at home.
: fresh barberry berries - 300g; brown sugar - 300g; red wine - 180 ml; honey - 100g; natural cherry juice - 125ml; corn starch - 20g.
Pour wine into a wide saucepan, add sugar. Heat slightly to dissolve the sweet grains, then add the barberry berries. Put on fire, bring to a boil, gently pour in honey. When heated, foam forms, which must be removed. The duration of further cooking over low heat is from 10 minutes to a quarter of an hour. Rub the resulting mass through a sieve. Use cornstarch diluted in cherry juice as a thickener. Seal the prepared sauce in a glass jar and store in a cool place.
In ancient Greece and Rome, barberry bushes were grown in every garden, as they considered it a symbol of good luck and happiness. And nowadays, the Japanese shrub exotic of the Berberidaceae family - the Thunberg barberry - brings joy and beauty to personal plots and country lawns.
