How to Propagate a Barberry Bush

The barberry is a woody plant with stems that grow 8 to 10 feet high. The branches contain white pith and are covered with an ash-colored bark. Their small yellow flowers give off a slightly unpleasant scent. The barberry produces oblong, slightly curved berries ½ inch in diameter, yellow when ripening and bright red when ripe. Berries are often collected for pickling or for making jelly. Propagate the barberry either by rooting suckers or cuttings.

Things You'll Need

• Compost
• Water
• Root hormone
• Potting medium (sand, perlite, compost)
• Sharp clean pruning shears
• Small pot or seedling tray
• Plastic bag
• Rubber band

Instructions

Suckers

1. Pull up a sucker, ideally 4 to 6 inches tall. Suckers are shoots that grow up from the root system. They are often undesirable because they suck nutrients from the main plant, but you can uproot them and replant them elsewhere to propagate the barberry bush.

2. Trim the sucker of all leaves except three or four at the top. Remove any buds.

3. Prepare the planting site with a well-draining soil; dig in two handfuls of compost. Insert the sucker and tamp down the soil around the base. Water the sucker well.

Tip Cuttings

1. Take a tip cutting, 4 to 10 inches long from growth that is less than 1 year old. Take the cutting from a main shoot or a long side branch. Do this during the growing season when tip cuttings are less likely to suffer from the cold.

2. Remove any buds, berries and all but the topmost leaves.

3. Dip the cutting in a root hormone to encourage root growth.

4. Plant the cutting in a well-draining potting medium composed of sand, perlite and fine compost. Water the cutting until the water drains through the bottom of the pot or tray.

5. Cover the cutting with a plastic bag (don’t let the leaves touch the plastic) and secure it with a rubber band. Place in indirect sunlight. When you see roots poking through the bottom of the pot you can replant the cutting in a larger pot.

Tips & Warnings

• Barberry bushes put out plenty of suckers. Be advised, however, that the resulting plants will also put out a lot of suckers, which may become a nuisance.

• The Washington State University Extension recommends using large cuttings because, even though they may require more care while they root, they produce a “usable plant” in a shorter amount of time.

References

• Botanical: Barberry, Common
• Washington State University Extension: Propagating Deciduous and Evergreen Shrubs, Trees and Vines with Stem Cuttings