Yellow flowers in spring and red fruits in autumn are ornamental shrubs with good flowers and fruits. Berberis purpurea is widely cultivated in China, especially Berberis purpurea.

[Morphological characteristics]

Deciduous multi-branched shrub with widely spreading branches, purplish red young branches, angular leaves, obovate or spoon-shaped, all-round, yellow-green surface, pink-white back, and a thorn deformed by leaves under the leaves, which is not forked. In April, floral axis sticks out among new leaves, and 3-4 pale yellow drooping florets are planted into clusters of umbels. Berries are oval, bright red, and mature in 10 months.

Cultivated varieties include Berberis purpurea. Dark purple leaves, purple to bright red leaves, redder and more lovely under strong light in summer. It is a common colored-leaf tree species in urban gardens (see color map 124).

About 500 species belong to the same genus, and there are 200 species in China. Common cultivated and ornamental species are:

Berberis spinosa, also known as Berberis spinosa and Berberis europaea, is a shrub with yellow branchlets in autumn and winter, papery leaves and bright red leaves. Racemes droop, flowers 10 ~ 14, fruits are red or purple.

Berberis paniculata is the main species of Berberis, a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub with dense branches. Panicles are dense with pale yellow flowers and red berries.

Beech, also known as Berberis macrophylla, is an ornamental plant with large leaves and red fruit.

Berberis lushan, also known as Berberis longifolia, has grayish yellow, angular, single thorn, yellow flower raceme and a bunch of 3 ~ 10 flowers.

[distribution]

Native to Japan, distributed in the south of Qinling Mountains in China, cultivated in gardens.

[habit]

Strong adaptability, like cool and humid environment, cold-resistant, drought-tolerant, like sunny days, semi-cloudy days, avoid stagnant water and depressions, and thrive in fertile and well-drained soil. Strong germination and pruning resistance.

[Propagation, Cultivation and Maintenance]

Methods of sowing, cutting and dividing plants can be used for reproduction. Berberis, especially Berberis purpurea, is easy to bear fruit in the north, so it is often sown and propagated in the north. After collecting seeds in autumn, wash the pulp, dry it in the shade, then dig a pit in a dry place with higher ground, store the seeds and sand in the pit according to the ratio of 1∶3, and sow the seeds in the next spring, so that the seeds stored in the sand have high emergence rate, are easy to sow, and can also be sown in autumn after harvest.

Multi-line cutting propagation is carried out in the Yangtze River basin and its south area, and cutting is divided into dormant branches and semi-mature branches. In March, dormant branches were cut off, and 1 annual stout branches were selected as cuttings, each with a length of 10 ~ 12 cm (with 3 ~ 4 nodes), and thorns were cut off, and inserted into the soil according to the row spacing of 12 cm and the plant spacing of 5 ~ 6 cm. Semi-mature branches can be cut from June to September. Select the branches with thick wood in that year, cut them to grow to 10 ~ 12 cm, leave leaves at the top of 1 ~ 2 nodes, insert them into the soil for 5 ~ 6 cm, shade them immediately after cutting, and water them fully, so the survival rate is very high.

Berberis has strong germination, fast growth, often clustered plants, and can also be propagated by dividing plants. Branching time can be carried out in all seasons except summer.

Berberis transplantation is carried out in February-March in spring or June in autumn10 ~165438+10. Leave it in the soil or use mud balls, and choose a semi-cool environment for planting. Seedlings should not be too wet, so as not to cause root rot. Berberis is easy to cultivate, convenient to manage and resistant to shaping and pruning.

[Appreciation and Application]

Berberis leaves are round, flowers and fruits are beautiful and pleasing to the eye. It is suitable for planting in the corner of garden road and the edge of flowers, and also suitable for decorating several clusters between rocks and Chi Pan. It can also be used to make bonsai, especially Berberis purpurea, which is widely used in gardens.