Glaucous-white barberry

Synonyms: Барбарис беленький, Барбарис белый, Барбарис серебристый, Барбарис м’який, Berberis candidula (C.K. Schneid.) C.K. Schneid, Berberis hookeri var. candidula C.K. Schneid.

Glaucous-white barberry – a species of barberry from the genus Barberry (Berberis) of the family Berberidaceae. Endemic to China, native to Hubei and Sichuan. It rises in the mountains to an altitude of 1200-3000 m above sea level. Introduced into cultivation in 1895.

It is an evergreen shrub with a dense, semi-circular crown. Reaches 0.8-1.2 m in height, up to 2.5 m in width. Grows slowly. Branches gray-brown, finely warted. Young shoots pale green. Spines three-parted, 1-1.5 (2) cm in length.

Leaves nearly sessile or on a short petiole, arranged alternately. The leaf blade glossy, dark green, underside covered with a dense grayish-white waxy bloom. Leaves elliptic to ovate, 1-2 × 0.5-1 cm, leathery, with revolute margins, finely serrate edge, with 1-4 spines and an acute apex.

Blooms in May-June. Flowers solitary, golden-yellow, 1.3-1.5 cm in diameter, on glabrous pedicels 4-10 mm long. Sepals 3, outer yellowish-red, oblong-ovate, about 4 × 2 mm, acute; middle sepals oblong-obovate, about 7 × 5 mm; inner sepals obovate, about 10 × 8 mm. Petals obovate, about 8 × 6 mm, with a cuneate base. Ovules 4 or 5. Stamens 5 mm long.

Fruits elliptical, 8-9 × 4-5 mm, dark blue, covered with a thin waxy bloom, without a style.

Cultivars: Berberis candidula 'Jytte', Berberis candidula 'Amstelveen', Berberis candidula 'Telstar'

Hardiness zone: 6b (-28 °C)

Location: prefers partial shade. Heat-tolerant, winter-hardy, drought- and wind-resistant. Does not tolerate prolonged wetness. Grows well on steep, open slopes with medium-steppe or dry-meadow moisture. Prefers neutral or slightly alkaline, fairly fertile soils, but also grows on sparsely vegetated rocky slopes, screes, and rocks.

Planting: planting is best done in spring or autumn. If soil pH is above 7, liming is recommended. Planting mix: peat, topsoil, humus, 400 g slaked lime (if pH>7) and 200 g wood ash. Planting hole size: 40x40 cm. For single planting, the distance between plants should be 1.5-2 m. For creating a living hedge, prepare a trench and place bushes at a rate of 2 plants per linear meter.

Care: care consists of shallow loosening of the root circle and mulching. Watering is recommended at least once a week with 2-3 buckets per plant. In spring, one year after planting, nitrogen-containing fertilizers can be applied. Thereafter, nitrogen feeding should not be done earlier than every 3-4 years.

Pruning: tolerates trimming well.

Propagation: by seed and vegetatively.

Diseases: bacterial canker, powdery mildew, Septoria leaf spot, infectious dieback of branches, Phyllosticta leaf spot, leaf spot diseases, rust fungus Puccinia graminis.

Pests: barberry aphid, barberry sawfly, barberry fruitworm, leaf-chewing insects.

Uses: A good nectar plant. Due to its slow growth and attractive, evenly covered habit it can be widely used in wilderness gardens, rock gardens, and for grave plantings. Can also be used to create low living hedges.