Barberry is grown for its foliage and the structure it brings to a planting. It's hardy across USDA zones 5 through 11 and shrugs off deer. Its late spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees.
Barberry — the short answer
Barberry: grown in zones 5–11, full sun, pH 5.5–7.2.
- USDA zones
- 5–11
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.2
- USDA PLANTS
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Barberry on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether barberry actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score barberry against your land's real conditions.
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What Barberry is
Barberry grows as a perennial and reaches around five feet at maturity. It blooms yellow in late spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Barberry
Barberry grows in USDA zones 5 through 11. Barberry does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7.2. It needs about 500 hours of winter chill, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
5-11
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.5 - 7.2
USDA PLANTS
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
Data pending
Growable Ground plant catalog
Cold Hardiness
-28°F
The coldest temperature this plant is documented to survive.
USDA PLANTS
Mature Height
5 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Chill Hours
500+
Winter hours below ~45°F it needs to fruit — too-mild winters can leave it bloom-shy.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant barberry in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun.
Match the soil
Barberry prefers pH 5.5 to 7.2 (USDA PLANTS). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Keep it in good form
Prune barberry to shape as it grows; the reward is its foliage and structure, not a harvest, so steady upkeep is the whole job.
Where Barberry thrives
Barberry is hardy across USDA zones 5 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 5–11 spans average winter lows from -20°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 29 outright and splits 21 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 5–11·Where Barberry growsOpen map →
Where Barberry stands, state by state
Barberry is rated for zones 5–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at -20 to -10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 29 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 21 more, and 1 sits outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 5–11
29 states
3 of 29 shown
The line runs through
21 states
3 of 21 shown
Barberry’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 5–11
1 state
- North Dakota · zones 3b-4b
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Barberry
Growing guides for barberry
In rotation planning, barberry counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in shrub
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — barberry is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Pet Poison Helpline.)
Barberry offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Barberry's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Barberry will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether barberry actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Barberry
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Barberry in my zone?
Barberry grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 11 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Barberry?
Time barberry to your own season rather than the calendar. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Barberry need?
Barberry needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Barberry need?
Barberry prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7.2 (USDA PLANTS). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Barberry attract pollinators?
Yes — barberry's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees.
Is Barberry safe for pets?
Barberry is toxic to pets (dogs,cats) with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Pet Poison Helpline.)