It’s easy to understand why Japanese barberry is so popular: it’s a small shrub with pretty leaves, bright red berries and easy-care ways. What’s not to like? Quite a few of its qualities are on the downside list, however, and any one of them should be sufficient to make you want to eliminate Japanese barberries from your backyard. If you’ve been asking “what can I substitute for barberry bushes,” read on for some tips. Japanese Barberries Yes, these shrubs are low maintenance and attractive, but they are problematic enough to cross off your list. First, they have needle-sharp thorns that can rip sensitive skin. While this makes them work well in defensive hedges, children and bare-legged adults might get more of a scratching than they’d like. But worse, Japanese barberry are wildly invasive. These “small” shrubs proliferate quickly, forming dense thickets. Their seeds are spread by birds who devour the […]
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