| Description | Crimson Pygmy Barberry is a great slow growing, small red leaf plant. Beware of the spiny stems. Even though considered small it still can reach 3 feet tall by 4-5 foot spread. |
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| Pronunciation | (Ber-ber-is)(thun-BER-jee-a) |
| Plant Type | Shrubs Deciduous, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 4 |
| Sunlight | for maximum foliage color it needs full sun. In shaded conditions the foliage color will fade to green |
| Moisture | average |
| Soil & Site | average |
| Flowers | The flowers are not very ornamental. They are small (1/3 to 1/2"), yellow and bore underneath the foliage. |
| Fruit | The Crimson Pygmy doesn't seem to produce as many small red berries as do some of the other types of Barberry |
| Leaves | A very early shrub to leaf out in the spring. It has reddish to maroon colored foliage depending on the amount of sun light. The fall color is another nice addition to this plant. It will have a variety of colors ranging from red to orange. |
| Stems | spines |
| Roots | fibrous |
| Dimensions | listed around 1 1/2-2' tall by 3 plus feet, one in my garden that has never been pruned (around 15-18 years old) has reacher 3 feet tall by a spread of 6 feet. |
| Maintenance | To avoid lots of punctures and scrapes a good pair of gloves and a long sleeve shirt are required when cleaning this plant in the spring. Some pruning may be needed to maintain shape. |
| Propagation | cuttings |
| Cultivar Origin | Originated in 1942 by Van Eyck, in Boskoop Holland |
| Misc Facts | AKA: Little Gem Barberry, Little Beauty Barberry, Little Beauty Barberry |
| Author's Notes | There is a fallacy about this plants size. It says dwarf on the label and people think it will stay that nice 1.5 foot balls they purchased at the nursery or garden center. I have old shrubs in a bed and they are approaching 2-3 feet tall spreading over 6 feet. |
| Notes & Reference | #1-Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Michael Dirr), #3-Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs |
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