Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Shrubs

Berberis thunbergii 'Fireball'^PBR

Japanese barberry 'Fireball'

A very low-growing, deciduous, neat ball-shaped shrub about 35cm tall, with excellent bright red young foliage becoming green tinged during summer then dark red in autumn, and red-tinged pale yellow flowers in spring followed by dark red fruits in autumn

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
3 suppliers

Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or North–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Berberidaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Berberis can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs with spiny shoots bearing simple, often spine-toothed leaves, and small yellow or orange flowers in axillary clusters or racemes, followed by small berries
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Tolerant of a range of soils and locations, but grows best in any well drained soil in full sun or partial shade, though flowering and fruiting are best in full sun. See berberis cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings or semi-hardwood cuttings in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
City and courtyard gardens
Wildlife gardens
Hedging and screens
Banks and slopes
Flower borders and beds
Garden edging

Pruning

Pruning group 2

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and berberis sawfly

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and sometimes by honey fungus

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.