Barberry, the common name for berberis, are versatile deciduous or evergreen shrubs renowned for their foliage, flowers, berries, and sharp spikes. There are hundreds of different shrubs within the Berberis genus and all will benefit from annual pruning. But exactly when and how do you prune barberry?
Knowing when to prune shrubs is important to keep them healthy and productive year after year. When it comes to pruning barberry shrubs, the timing will vary on whether they are deciduous or evergreen varieties.
As barberry are fast-growing shrubs, not trimming them can result in the shrubs getting overgrown and unkempt. I heard from two plant experts about when to prune barberry bushes and they revealed some recommended steps for pruning your shrubs.
In focus - how to prune barberry
Grab those thick gloves and your pruning tools. Barberry pruning shouldn’t be daunting and isn’t difficult and this guide reveals all the facts about how to cut back the shrubs.
When to prune a barberry bush
The timing is important for pruning barberry shrubs and varies depending on whether they are deciduous or evergreen shrubs. Both types of barberry are low-maintenance and should only require a single trim a year. A second prune may only be necessary if you are growing barberry as hedging plants to keep them neat and formal.
Deciduous types of barberry are best pruned during dormancy from late winter to early spring, just before new growth starts for the year. It provides an ideal time to prune barberry as you can easily see the shrub’s structure to remove dead, diseased, or damaged stems.
Evergreen barberry varieties are pruned at a slightly different time. They can be pruned after flowering in early or midsummer, however, if you want to enjoy the shrub’s berries in fall, you can hold off trimming the flowering shrub back until winter.
Whichever option you choose is fine, but do not make the shrub pruning mistake of trimming in late summer or early fall. As Valeria Nyman, chief product officer of Taim.io, warns: ‘Timing really is everything.
‘The key is avoiding pruning too late in the growing season, as it can trigger new growth that won’t harden off before winter. I learned this the hard way once, watching frost nip tender shoots on a Japanese barberry I’d trimmed too late.’
Any large-scale renovation pruning of barberry shrubs should be done during dormancy. The shrubs respond well to hard pruning and can handle such renovation during winter.
Taking the time to prune barberry bushes is important as it maintains the shrub’s size, shape, and appearance. Barberries tend to get dense and tangled over the years and pruning will open up the shrub, improving air circulation and light penetration and leaving them less vulnerable to fungal diseases. As well as keeping the shrub healthy, pruning a barberry bush tidies them up and promotes vigorous growth to carry future flowers.
How to prune barberry bushes
Ahead of pruning barberry bushes, it is important to have the right garden tools and equipment. Always use clean and sharp pruning shears or loppers to cut and wear thornproof gardening gloves to protect your hands from the shrub’s sharp spikes. Valeria Nyman offers a useful tip to help deal with the tidy-up afterwards. ‘For thorny varieties, lay a tarp under the bush before pruning. It makes cleanup faster and saves your hands from post-pruning scratches,’ she says.
Start pruning by removing dead, damaged, or diseased branches and any crossing over each other - as such crossing stems can rub and create entry points for diseases. Such branches can be cut back to healthy wood or the main stem.
Then focus on shaping the plant. ‘Trim back overgrown areas to maintain the desired shape and size,’ advises Ken Wickham, an ISA-certified arborist with Joshua Tree Experts. ‘For deciduous barberry, focus on thinning out interior branches to reduce crowding.’
The key is to focus on gentle trimming to create a natural shape and always pruning back to a bud or a branch junction without overdoing it, as annual pruning of barberry bushes is best done with a light touch.
‘Also, check for suckers (new growth at the base) and remove them to maintain the plant's form,’ Ken recommends.
While a gentle shaping is sufficient for regular pruning, overgrown barberries can withstand a harder approach. If you are willing to sacrifice a year of flowers, the entire shrub can be cut to one foot from ground level in winter. Alternatively, sections of the oldest branches can be removed over a few years to rejuvenate an overgrown shrub.
I tested these thornproof gardening gloves and found them great at protecting my hands from the spikes of roses and blackberries. They are made from high-quality 100% cowhide leather and are soft yet robust.
The Felco No. 2 shears are great tools for cutting back shrubs and are one of the best pruners on the market. They are sharp, tough, and comfortable to use. Another bonus is that all parts of replaceable.
A 78.7“x78.7” landscape tarp with a round hole in the middle to place around trees or shrubs and make collecting the trimmings quicker and easier. The tarp is hard-wearing and washable.
FAQs
Can you cut barberry to the ground?
Barberry can respond to drastic pruning and the entire shrub can be cut down to as little as 12 inches from the ground in late winter. The shrub can recover from this hard renovation pruning, but there will be no flowers or fruit on the new growth that sprouts that year. It is beneficial to mulch around the shrub after hard pruning.
Some species of barberry, including Japanese barberry, are considered invasive plants in some US states and their spread needs to be controlled. Ken Wickham from Joshua Tree Experts recommends lightly pruning after flowering to help control the spread. He says: ‘Trimming after flowering encourages a second flush of blooms and prevents excessive seed production to control any invasive spread.’
