Barberry

This garden hybrid, a cross between B. thunbergii and the common barberry, B. vulgaris, is extremely vigorous, quickly making full height when it is a substantial handsome bush. The stems of the variety 'Superba' (also known as 'Purpurea') are reddish brown, and the foliage a rich shade of vinous purple with green undertones. The flowers, in drooping clusters, relieve the severity of the strong upright stems, while in autumn the whole bush is lit with cascading trusses of pinkish red berries. A shrub of distinction for a prominent position. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its Award of Garden Merit (AGM).