THERE’S no getting away from it, berberis are thorny – but this, it turns out, can be a good thing. For although you need a stout pair of gloves when pruning, prickles have advantages.
Pros and cons of thorns
First, thorns ensure that a berberis is a safe place for birds to nest. Also, if you want to deter people from detouring through your garden, then a berberis hedge will do it. However, their thorns cut both ways, as you might say. You need stout gloves when clipping but, more to the point, if young children use the garden they can be scratched badly.
Flowers, foliage and fruits
Fortunately, there’s muchmost colour – in purple or deep crimson, or gold, plus a few with a pink or gold or green variegation. Many also feature bright autumn leaf colour.
