Berberis thunbergi

From BonsaiWIKI

Berberis thunbergi

Japanese Barberry

Color: Green; blood red to purple in the cultivar 'Atropurpurea Nana' (Crimson Pygmy Barberry) Size: Dwarf (60 cm ht x 90 cm w) Habit: Compact Bloom: Gold Ease of Cultivation: Medium Uses: Bonsai all sizes Growth Rate: 7 cm per year

Noted for its glistening reddish purple deciduous foliage color, this Barberry has beautiful dark red foliage that gets even darker toward the end of summer. The flowers are tiny gold balls that cover the plant in the spring. In the fall they get bright red elongated berries, hence the name, that last until spring. Thorns and very brittle branches make this a hard plant to wire once the growth hardens. The trunk on this barberry is very furrowed and crossed with rough edges making for fantastic looking bonsai.