• crimson pygmy barberry for colorful landscape
  • crimson pygmy barberry green and red foliage
  • close up of crimson leaves on barberry shrub
  •  compact vibrant colored Crimson Pygmy Barberry shrub as accent plant in garden

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Crimson Pygmy Barberry

Berberis thunbergii 'Crimson Pygmy'

Known for its burgundy foliage during the summer and fall, the Crimson Pygmy Barberry shrub adds superb contrast to green and gold-colored plants. Also known as the Japanese Barberry, this evergreen bush grows compact in full sun or part shade. Crimson Pygmy adapts to all landscapes, and looks great in mass planting for low hedges or borders. During the fall, red-orange berries appear on this ornamental shrub which attract birds. This plant is easy to care for as it prefers full sun and dry soil, and is deer resistant.

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Dormancy Notice: This plant, like many others, enters dormancy or semi-dormancy in the late fall through early spring. *THIS PLANT IS NOT DEAD. It is completely healthy but upon receiving the plant, you may notice it exhibits fewer leaves, discoloration, or complete leaf drop. This is normal and essential to the plant's health. In fact, planting during dormancy promotes root growth, giving your plant a better start for spring, when new foliage will begin to grow.

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Crimson Pygmy Barberry Shrubs for Sale Online

Crimson Pygmy Barberries are a dwarf and densely branched form of ornamental Barberry shrub.

Known as the Japanese Barberry, this deciduous shrub displays deep crimson-colored foliage all season long. The best color is achieved when planted in full sun or part shade and dry to medium, well-drained soil. This insect and deer-resistant bush provide excellent color contrast against green or gold-leafed plants.

An abundance of light-yellow flowers appear in mid-spring, and bright-red berries tend to appear in the fall. The Crimson Pygmy barberry grows in a compact size, perfect for small spaces or planted in mass for border landscaping. It's also proven to be a hardy shrub for its pollution, salt, and drought-tolerant properties.


Growzone: 4-8 Crimson Pygmy Barberry Hardiness Zones 4-8
Hardiness Zone: 4-8
Mature Height: 2 to 3 Feet
Mature Width: 2 to 3 Feet
Classification: Broad leaved shrub
Sunlight: Partial to full sun
Habit: Rounded mounding habit
Foliage: Deep red
Flower Color: Inconspicuous
Pruning Season: Best pruned in late winter before new growth emerges to maintain shape
Soil Condition: Any well drained slightly acidic soil
Water Requirements: Water well until established
Uses: Full sun brings out the best foliage color; will adapt to drier sites

How to Care for Crimson Pygmy Barberry

Before you buy a Crimson Pygmy Barberry Shrub, make sure to read about the care instructions that are recommended to keep this plant healthy and thriving.

How do I water Crimson Pygmy Barberry Shrubs?

How do I water Crimson Pygmy Barberry Shrubs?

After back-filling and lightly compacting the 50/50 mix of existing soil and compost give the Crimson Barberry a good, deep watering. This is not to be rushed. Most of the water you put on the plant at first will run away from the plant until the soil is soaked. A general rule of thumb is to count to 5 for every one gallon of pot size. For example, a one gallon pot would be watered until you count to 5, a three gallon pot would be 15, and so on. Check the plant daily for the first week or so and then every other day there after. Water using the counting method for the first few weeks. A Treegator Jr. Pro bag can be used to help aid in this process and also provide plants with a good soaking due to the slow release of the water into the root-zone of the plant. Soaker hoses can also be used to water when planting a long hedge.

How do I mulch Barberry Crimson Pygmy?

How do I mulch Barberry Crimson Pygmy?

We highly recommend that you mulch your Crimson Pygmy Barberry Shrub with either ground hardwood mulch or cypress mulch depending on your local availability. Any type of mulch will do, but cypress or hardwood mulch will be of a higher quality and provide better nutrition overall as they break down. Mulching helps keep weeds away that will compete with your new investment for water and nutrients. A 2 to 3-inch layer of mulch is sufficient, but don’t cover any part of the stem of the plant with mulch. It's better to leave a one-inch gap of space between the mulch and the stem or trunk of the plant.

How do I fertilize Crimson Barberry?

How do I fertilize Crimson Barberry?

Apply an early spring fertilizer with a product such as Espoma Tree-tone or Plant-tone at the recommended rate. This will give the plant a boost of nitrogen that will be needed for healthy abundant foliage. Follow this up with an early summer application of Espoma Flower-tone, this will provide the necessary nutrients and raise the acid level in the soil which Barberries favor. Espoma products are easy to use, just sprinkle around the base of the plant and water it in. Be careful with products such as miracle-grow as these products can burn newly planted plants when not used at the recommended rates. Slow-release fertilizer can help prevent rapid sucker growth that is vulnerable to diseases and insects. Since an organic method of applying manure and/or compost around the roots, produces excellent results and also improves the condition of the soil, this would be an excellent first line of attack. Organic additions to the soil can also be combined with a shot of chemical fertilizer for maximum effect.

How do I plant Japanese Barberry?

How do I plant Japanese Barberry?

We suggest when planting your newly purchased Crimson Pygmy Barberry plants that you dig a hole twice as wide as the root system, but not deeper. Depending on the quality of your existing soil, you may need to add a locally-sourced compost or topsoil to the backfill soil. We do not recommend using straight topsoil or compost as a backfill soil for Crimson Pygmy Barberries because more times than not these products will retain entirely too much moisture and will cause the root system to rot. Adding compost or topsoil will help the young feeder roots of Crimson Pygmy spread through the loose, nutrient-rich soil much easier. The most common cause of plant death after transplanting is planting the new plant too deep. That is why we do not recommend planting in a hole any deeper than the soil line of the plant in the pot. A good rule is that you should still be able to see the soil the plant was grown in after back-filling the hole.


Frequently Asked questions

How do I prune Barberry Crimson Pygmy Shrubs?

Is the Crimson Pygmy Barberry an invasive species?


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