Narrow-leaved barberry

Narrow-leaved barberry – a species of barberry in the genus Berberis (Berberis) of the family Berberidaceae. It is an English garden hybrid of Berberis darwinii Hook. × Berberis empetrifolia Lam. In cultivation since 1860.

It is an evergreen shrub 0.3-1.8 (2.5) m in height. Young branches are directed vertically upwards, later arching and drooping almost to the ground, brownish-red, covered with short, 1-3 mm long, three-part spines. Shoots are glabrous, densely red.

Leaves alternate, up to 2 cm long and 0, cm wide, linear-lanceolate, with an acute tip bearing a short spine, margins bent downward, entire, leathery. The upper side of the leaf blade is densely green, the underside bluish-white.

Blooms in May, very abundantly. Flowers golden-yellow, up to 1 cm in diameter, grouped 2-8 per short racemes, fragrant. Pedicels 0.8 cm long.

Fruits globose, purple-black, 0.6-0.7 cm in diameter, covered with a dense bluish bloom, with a persistent style. They ripen in late September – early October and persist on the branches until mid-winter.

Cultivars: Berberis x stenophylla 'Irwinii', Berberis × stenophylla 'Corallina', Berberis × stenophylla 'Corallina compacta', Berberis × stenophylla 'Reflexa' , Berberis x stenophylla 'Claret Cascade', Berberis stenophylla "Aurea".

Berberis x stenophylla 'Claret Cascade'

Hardiness zone: 6b (-29 °C)

Site: prefers sunny and open locations. Heat-tolerant, winter-hardy, drought- and wind-resistant. Does not tolerate prolonged wetness. Grows well on steep, exposed slopes with meso-steppe or dry-meadow moisture. Prefers neutral or slightly alkaline, fairly rich soils, but also grows on sparsely grassed stony slopes, screes, and rocks.

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

Care: care consists of shallow cultivation 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 may be applied. Subsequently, nitrogen feeding is carried out not earlier than after 3-4 years.

Pruning: tolerates trimming well.

Propagation: by seed and vegetatively.

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

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

Usage: A good nectar plant. Widely used in single and group plantings, in compositions.