Question: Hello! I found this plant in my yard, which has a lot of disturbed areas, in Worcester County, Massachusetts. I …
-
Question
Hello! I found this plant in my yard, which has a lot of disturbed areas, in Worcester County, Massachusetts. I think it might be Japanese Barberry, but am not 100% sure after using this website's key. It mostly has two leaves coming from each bud, but in some places has three, four and five leaves. Can you help identify it? If it is barberry, should I get rid of it? I try to use mostly natives (or at the least, non-invasive species) in the garden.
Answer
Dear Ninnybroth, you were correct, this plant is Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry). The leaves are produced on short, knob-like spurs called short shoots, so the leaves appear to vary, but they are alternate. Best wishes.
