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

Shrubs

Berberis cretica

Cretan barberry

A tough, low-growing, deciduous and extremely thorny little shrub, with small oval mid green leaves that turn good fiery colours briefly before they fall in the autumn. Short clusters of pale yellow flowers in sping are followed by tiny blue-black berries that develop a pale blueberry-like bloom in the autumn

Synonyms

Berberis libanotica

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained, Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Drought resistance

Yes

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 the UK: 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: Correct
Plant range: Mediterranean

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 seed sown in a seedbed in early spring. Many Berberis species cross freely in gardens, so seed-raised plants are often hybrids. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer.

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Rock garden
Mediterranean climate plants
Gravel garden
Low Maintenance
Banks and slopes

Pruning

Pruning group 2; trim hedges after flowering

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.