How to identify Creeping barberry (Berberis repens)

How to identify Creeping barberry (Berberis repens)

Creeping barberry, also known as Creeping oregon grape, Edging barberry, Creeping hollygrape

Creeping barberry is a low-growing, broadleaf evergreen plant with creeping stolons that facilitate its use as an effective ground cover. Reaching heights of approximately 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm), it spreads horizontally across the ground. The stems give rise to new, upright shoots, creating a dense mat of foliage. During the blooming period, creeping barberry showcases small, vibrant flowers that emerge on these new vertical sprouts, contributing to its ornamental appeal.

Lifespan: Perennial

Plant Type: Shrub

Leaf Type: Evergreen

Quickly Identify Creeping barberry

Low-growing broadleaf evergreen with creeping stolons, forming dense ground cover.

Oval, holly-like leaves with spines, compound pinnate structure, bluish-green color in summer.

Small blackish-blue berries in grape-like clusters, slightly tart taste, edible and attractive to birds.

Detailed Traits of Creeping barberry

Leaf Features

The leaves of creeping barberry are oval and resemble holly leaves with spines, measuring 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) in length. They are compound pinnate, featuring a stem that supports 3-7 leaflets on each side, forming a single compound leaf. The leaves are dull and leathery, covered in multiple spiny teeth along the edges. In summer, they exhibit a bluish-green color, which transitions to a purplish shade in winter.

Learn About the Leaf Glossary

Fruit Features

The fruit of creeping barberry presents as blackish-blue berries, maturing in late summer. Resembling a grape-like cluster, each berry is small and rounds in shape with a slightly waxy texture. These fruits can be tart to the taste, measuring about 0.3 to 0.5 inches (8-13 mm) in diameter. Despite their sourness, the berries are edible and a traditional ingredient in making jellies. They are a favored food of local bird species.

Learn About the Fruit Glossary

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Creeping barberry and Their Similar Plants

Japanese barberry vs. Creeping barberry: What's The Difference?

Berberis thunbergii, colloquially known as japanese barberry, is a flowering deciduous shrub commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant. Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea is the most popular cultivar of this species, known for its characteristic dark red to violet foliage and bright red berries.

Oregon grape vs. Creeping barberry: What's The Difference?

Oregon grape originates in western North America and flowers in early spring. The bark of the oregon grape can be used to make a yellow dye, while the berries create a purple dye.

Leatherleaf mahonia vs. Creeping barberry: What's The Difference?

Leatherleaf mahonia is planted as a hedge. Its evergreen leaves, edged with spines, can deter outsiders from intruding. In addition to its very distinctive foliage, it is also very recognizable by the large bunches of dark purple fruits it produces in summer. Birds eat these fruits and help spread the seeds, so this plant is widely dispersed and even considered aggressive.

Common barberry vs. Creeping barberry: What's The Difference?

Common barberry is a shrub with unpleasant-smelling flowers and red berries. The flowers can be used to create yellow dye while the berries have culinary and medicinal uses in Iran and medicinal use in China that dates back 3,000 years. Despite this, common barberry can be a host to wheat rust that is highly damaging to grain crops in America.

Darwin's barberry vs. Creeping barberry: What's The Difference?

Charles Darwin discovered this barberry (Berberis darwinii) in 1835 on his second voyage on the Beagle. Coming from the harsher climatic regions of Chile and Argentina, it is hardy, easy to grow, and wind-resistant. Its dark green leaves, golden flowers on red stalks, and purple-blue berries add color to a winter garden, but garden escapees can become a nuisance.

Wintergreen barberry vs. Creeping barberry: What's The Difference?

Wintergreen barberry (Berberis julianae) is an evergreen shrub that will grow to 1.2 m tall and 1.8 m wide. It blooms clusters of yellow flowers in spring. Berries ripen to blackish-blue in fall attracting birds and other wildlife. Colorful foliage with leaves changing color from green to burgundy in winter. Requires full sun to partial shade.

Chinese mahonia vs. Creeping barberry: What's The Difference?

Chinese mahonia is a drought-tolerant evergreen shrub that grows well in shady areas. With its holly-like leaves and mismatched tufts of yellow flowers, this plant can add interest to a garden or be grown indoors as a houseplant.

Chinese holly vs. Creeping barberry: What's The Difference?

Chinese holly is an upright shrub that produces wonderful yellow flower stalks. When not in bloom, the plant is equally attractive thanks to its somewhat prickly leaves. This species is one of the parents of the highly popular garden hybrid Mahonia x media, which includes a dozen of well-known cultivars.

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Key Facts About Creeping barberry

Attributes of Creeping barberry

Lifespan

Perennial

Plant Type

Shrub

Plant Height

20 cm to 45 cm

Spread

20 cm to 45 cm

Leaf Color

Green

Blue

Purple

Lavender

Flower Size

3 cm to 10 cm

Leaf type

Evergreen

The Toxicity of Creeping barberry

Highly Toxic to Humans

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Scientific Classification of Creeping barberry

Phylum

Vascular plants

Class

Dicotyledons

Order

Buttercups, poppies and allies

Family

Barberry

Genus

salmon barberry

Species

Creeping barberry (Berberis repens)

Learn More About the Creeping barberry

Distribution Map of Creeping barberry

Creeping barberry is a plant species native to the temperate regions of western North America. It has a broad distribution in these areas, thriving in various habitats. The species has also been introduced to other parts of the continent. Moreover, creeping barberry is cultivated, indicating its range extends beyond wild populations through human activity, primarily for ornamental purposes. However, detailed information about specific introduced regions is not included, as per the instructions.

Native

Cultivated

Invasive

Potentially invasive

Exotic

No species reported

Learn More About the Creeping barberry

A Comprehensive Guide to Creeping barberry How to Grow and Care for Creeping barberry