Gagnepain's Barberry

Synonyms: Барбарис Гагнепейна, Барбарис Гагнепена, Барбарис Ганьпэна, Berberis gagnepainii C.K.Schneider, барбарис черноягодный.

Gagnepain's Barberry – a species of barberry in the genus Berberis (Berberis) of the family Berberidaceae. Native to China (Guizhou, western Hubei, Sichuan and Yunnan), where it grows in mountain thickets, in the understory and on rocks. It ascends to elevations of 700-2800 m above sea level. It was named after the French botanist François Gagnepain (1866-1952), who described it. Introduced into cultivation in Europe in 1900.

It is an evergreen shrub with a spreading, broad crown. Shoots cylindrical, growing upright, well-branched, becoming pendulous with age, yellow-green, with separate sharp spines up to 3 cm long. It reaches 2-3 m in height.

Leaves alternate, lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 3.5-14 × 0.4-2.5 cm, sparsely pubescent, with wavy margins and 6-20 (40) sharp teeth along the edges, margins acute, matte, dark green, beneath glaucous green-blue. In autumn they turn reddish.

Flowers in May. Flowers bright yellow, up to 1 cm in diameter, arranged in clusters of 2-8 (15) flowers. Pedicels up to 3 mm long. Sepals in 3 whorls. Outer sepals oblong-ovate, 4.5 × 4 mm, with an acute apex. Middle sepals elliptic to ovate, about 6.5 × 5.5 mm. Inner sepals obovate, about 8 × 7 mm. Petals obovate, 7 × 6 mm, wedge-shaped.

Fruits blue-black, oblong-ovoid, 8-10 × 6 mm, covered with a pale blue bloom.

Forms: Berberis gagnepainii lanceifolia (Барбарис ганьепена ланцетолистный), Berberis gagnepainii var. Gagnepainii, Berberis gagnepainii var. omeiensis C. K. Schneider

Hardiness zone: 4 (-29°C). May suffer damage in very severe winters.

Location/exposure: winter-hardy, drought-tolerant. Undemanding. Grows well on dry and sandy soil. Prefers acidic or slightly alkaline soil. Does not tolerate waterlogging. Light-loving but shade-tolerant. Tolerates urban conditions and industrial pollution well, wind-resistant.

Planting: planting is best done in spring or autumn. If soil pH is above РН 7, liming the soil is recommended. Planting mix: peat, turf topsoil, humus, 400 g slaked lime (if РН>7) and 200 g wood ash. Planting hole size: 40x40 cm. For solitary planting, the distance between plants should be 1.5-2 m. To create a hedge, prepare a trench and place shrubs at a rate of 2 shrubs per 1 linear metre.

Care: care consists of shallow loosening of the planting circles 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 may be applied. Further nitrogen feeding should not be done earlier than after 3-4 years.

Pruning: tolerates trimming well.

Propagation: for spring sowing of seeds, stratification at 1 - 5°C for 3-4 months is necessary. Seeds can also be sown in autumn without stratification immediately after harvest or cleaned of pulp. Sowing depth 2-3 cm.

Diseases: bacterial canker, powdery mildew, Septoria leaf spot, infectious dieback of branches, Phyllosticta leaf spot, leaf spot. Not affected by rust.

Pests: barberry aphid, barberry sawfly, barberry fruit moth, leaf-chewing insects.

Uses: Used in landscape design in solitary and group plantings, in cottage gardens, for urban greening, for trellises, borders, rock gardens and creating impenetrable hedgerows. Highly ornamental.