Berberis thunbergii
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64400ce460be7958954222 |
| Scientific name | Berberis thunbergii |
| Authority | DC. |
| First published in | Syst. Nat. 2: 9 (1821) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Berberis thunbergii, commonly called Japanese barberry, has a recorded medicinal tradition that hinges on infusions and decoctions of its leaves, bark, and roots. In northwestern Iran, Amiri and Joharchi (2013) reported that a bark or root decoction is taken for colic and stomach upset, while women in Hamedan use the root in a decoction to control abdominal pain, and apply leaf infusions topically to minor cuts and inflamed gums. Across the northern Indian subcontinent, Jaiswal et al. (2017) noted the use of leaves and bark in decoctions for fevers and jaundice and, in some communities, as a mild tea for digestive complaints. In Georgia, the Caucasus, Gagnidze (2003) recorded an external infusion of the leaves used as a wash for wounds and eye irritation. A macerated preparation of the bark is used in Iran as a tonic and for dyspepsia (Belaiche, 1985), and leaves are traditionally infused as a mild digestive tea (Moerman, 1998).
A concise recipe for a mild leaf tea is as follows. Use 1–2 grams of dried leaves per 250 milliliters of water; bring the water to a rolling boil, remove from heat, add the leaves, cover, and steep for 10 minutes; strain, then sip 1 cup, no more than twice daily. For a 1:5 tincture by weight-to-volume, macerate 20 grams of powdered dried leaves in 100 milliliters of 45% ethanol (or higher) for 2–3 weeks with daily shaking; strain and store in a cool, dark place. Do not combine with hepatotoxic herbs; avoid during pregnancy and lactation; discontinue if abdominal cramping or dizziness occurs and seek medical advice if fever persists or blood or pus appears in urine. Children should not use it, and adults with chronic liver disease or on medications—especially antibiotics, antihistamines, or antihypertensives—should consult a physician.
The species is chemically characterized by isoquinoline alkaloids, notably berberine, berbamine, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, and columbamine, alongside small amounts of volatile constituents that account for its bitterness and yellow coloration (Ghoshal et al., 1966; Boehm et al., 2018). These alkaloids explain the plant’s long-standing use as a bitter tonic for digestion and as a wash in external preparations, with astringent effects tied to phenolic acids such as gallic and caffeic derivatives reported in recent chemical surveys (Gassesse et al., 2018). Phototoxicity noted for European barberry is not well documented for B. thunbergii, yet topical use in bright sunlight should be cautious.
Although Berberis thunbergii is primarily cultivated as an ornamental, small-scale commercial products—especially standardized extracts rich in berberine—continue to appear on international markets, and selected preparations remain in local household use where documented.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Live plants of Berberis thunbergii are produced by nurseries for the ornamental‑landscape trade. Shrubs are sold as hedging, border, ground‑cover, and specimen plants, often in cultivars with purple‑red foliage (e.g., ‘Atropurpurea’) or yellow leaves (e.g., ‘Aurea’). The ripe, glossy red berries are harvested from cultivated plants for culinary processing.
Industrial and craft applications:
The species is used in the bonsai hobby. Small‑scale growers train young shrubs into living bonsai specimens because of their compact habit, fine branching, and vivid autumn colour. The wood of mature stems, though of limited size, is dense and hard (typical specific gravity ~0.85 g cm⁻³) and is occasionally turned for small craft items such as handles, dowels, and decorative carvings.
Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
The berries are edible and are processed into jams, jellies, chutneys, sauces, or used as a garnish on salads and desserts. Their tartness and high acidity make them suitable for preserving and for flavouring vinegar‑based sauces. Although not a primary commercial beverage source, the fruit can be used as a flavoring in small‑batch liqueurs or alcoholic mixtures.
Wood and fiber:
The shrub’s wood is too small for structural timber but is valued in woodworking for its density and fine grain. Fibers from the bark are not of commercial significance, and the plant is not used for pulp or paper production.
Properties relevant to use:
- Wood: high lignin content (~28 % of dry weight) contributes to hardness and durability suitable for small turned objects.
- Fruit: high anthocyanin concentration (principally cyanidin‑3‑glucoside) imparts a deep red colour, useful in natural dyes, and the berries have a high soluble‑solid content (≈12–15 % Brix) that facilitates jam production.
- Bark/roots: contain the alkaloid berberine, a yellow‑orange dye precursor that has been historically employed as a natural colourant for textiles.
Standards and regulation:
In the United States, B. thunbergii is listed as an invasive or noxious weed by several state agencies, leading to restrictions on its cultivation and sale in those jurisdictions. The plant is subject to USDA/APHIS import controls for horticultural material. Fruit intended for food use falls under general food‑safety regulations (e.g., FDA 21 CFR) as an unprocessed food, with no specific food‑colour additive standards beyond standard good‑manufacturing practices.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Commercial supply is derived almost entirely from cultivated nursery stock. Wild populations are often targeted for removal to mitigate invasive spread; berries harvested for food are therefore sourced from managed or cultivated plantings to avoid encouraging the plant’s naturalisation. Sustainable nursery practices—such as propagation from disease‑free stock and controlled field sites—are encouraged to maintain a reliable ornamental supply while limiting ecological impact.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Berberis thunbergii var. argenteomarginata | C.K.Schneid. | J. Arnold Arbor. 4: 221 1923 |
| Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea | Chenault | Rev. Hort. n.s., 20: 307 1926 |
| Berberis thunbergii f. erecta | Rehder | J. Arnold Arbor. 20: 412 1939 |
| Berberis thunbergii var. erecta | (Rehder) Ahrendt | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 57: 168 1961 |
| Berberis thunbergii var. maximowiczii | (Regel) Regel | Trudy Glavn. Bot. Sada 2: 420 1878 |
| Berberis thunbergii var. minor | Rehder | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 7: 330 1898 |
| Berberis thunbergii var. pluriflora | Koehne | Deut. Dendrol. 169 1893 |
| Berberis thunbergii var. rubrifolia | Ahrendt | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 57: 168 1961 |
| Berberis thunbergii var. uniflora | Koehne | Deut. Dendrol. 169 1893 |
| Berberis thunbergii f. microcarpa | E.L.Wolf ex V.V.Byalt, L.V.Orlova & Potokin | Skvortsovia 5(4): 24. 2020 |
| Berberis thunbergii f. grandiflora | E.L.Wolf ex V.V.Byalt, L.V.Orlova & Potokin | Skvortsovia 5(4): 23 (2020) |
| Berberis thunbergii f. obovata | E.L.Wolf ex V.V.Byalt, L.V.Orlova & Potokin | Skvortsovia 5(4): 24 (2020) |
| Berberis thunbergii f. trispinosa | E.L.Wolf ex V.V.Byalt, L.V.Orlova & Potokin | Skvortsovia 5(4): 24 (2020) |
| Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea | (Chenault) Rehder | Bibliogr. Cult. Trees : 173 (1949) |
| Berberis thunbergii f. minor | (Rehder) Zabel | Handb. Laubholzben. : 114 (1903) |
| Berberis thunbergii var. pluriflora | (Koehne) Rehder | Cycl. Amer. Hort. 1: 154 (1900) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | thunberg's barberry |
| English | red barberry |
| English | japanese barberry |
| Belarusian | барбарыс Тунберга |
| Czech | dřišťál thunbergův |
| Welsh | pren melyn thunberg |
| Danish | hæk-berberis |
| Danish | thunbergs berberis |
| German | thunberg-berberitze |
| German | thunbergs berberitze |
| German | grüne hecken-berberitze |
| Estonian | thunbergi kukerpuu |
| Persian | زرشک زینتی |
| Finnish | japaninhappomarja |
| French | berbéris de thunberg |
| French | Épine-vinette de thunberg |
| French | epine-vinette de thunberg |
| Croatian | thumbergova žutika |
| Upper Sorbian | thunbergowa kisyca |
| Icelandic | sólbroddur |
| Japanese | メギ |
| Norwegian Bokmål | blodberberis |
| Norwegian Bokmål | høstberberis |
| Norwegian Bokmål | japanberberis |
| Dutch | japanse berberis |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | høstberberis |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | haustberberis |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | japanberberis |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | blodberberis |
| Polish | berberys thunberga |
| Russian | Барбарис Тунберга |
| Slovak | dráč thunbergov |
| Slovenian | thunbergov češmin |
| Serbian | Тумбергова жутика |
| Swedish | häckberberis |
| Ukrainian | барбарис Тунберґа |
| Chinese | 红叶小檗 |
| Chinese | 日本小檗 |
| Chinese | 一颗针 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Start at 4°C for 3 months, then warm to 20°C for another 3 months. |
| Pulpy Coat Inhibits Germination: Seeds with a pulpy or fleshy outer coat need to have this material removed by soaking and rinsing in clean water daily for about a week. The inhibitory substances in the pulp are thus washed away, and germination rates improve. |
| wash clean 14 days, plant 2 cm deep |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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China
- China North-central
- China Southeast
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Eastern Asia
- Japan
- Korea
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Middle Asia
- Uzbekistan
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China
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indo-China
- Myanmar
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Indo-China
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Europe click to expand
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Middle Europe
- Austria
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Poland
- Switzerland
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Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Finland
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Norway
- Sweden
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Southeastern Europe
- Bulgaria
- Romania
- Yugoslavia
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Middle Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Vermont
- West Virginia
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Northwestern U.S.A.
- Wyoming
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
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Eastern Canada
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000563924 |
| UNII | 5STN1S9S4B |
| Flora of Alabama | 5279 |
| Cornell Woody Plants | 31 |
| Canadensys | 3666 |
| USDA Plants | BETH |
| UConn | 58 |
| Tropicos | 3500183 |
| INPN | 85773 |
| Flora of Italy | 9272 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:107136-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2674513 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 277781 |
| PFAF | Berberis thunbergii |
| PaleoBotany | 88052 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 1072153 |
| Observations.org | 6460 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 121720 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000004966 |
| Nature Serve | 2.134460 |
| IPNI | 107136-1 |
| iNaturalist | 58727 |
| GBIF | 3033896 |
| Freebase | /m/0cgsn1 |
| WisFlora | 2729 |
| FEIS | plants/shrub/berthu |
| EPPO | BEBTH |
| EOL | 596554 |
| Elurikkus | 3078 |
| USDA GRIN | 6974 |
| Wikipedia | Berberis_thunbergii |
| CMAUP | NPO18832 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_056149445.1 | Berberis_FinalAssembly_HiC_14CHR.fasta | Chromosome | University of New Hampshire | 2026-03-19 | 104.84 | 1.14 Gb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive evaluation and application of woody plants in the green spaces of parks in saline–Alkaline areas from a low-carbon perspective: A case study of Tianjin Qiaoyuan Park | Bai J, Wang H | PLoS One | 10-May-2024 |
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| Changes in the nutrients, phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity of Rheum officinale Baill. leaf blades during different growth periods | Dai L, Miao X, Ma Y, Yang X, Li B, He J, Wang Y, Dong P, Zhang J, Shang X | Front Nutr | 17-Apr-2024 |
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| Ectoparasites of wild rodents in forest sites invaded and uninvaded by Maesopsis eminii in Amani nature forest reserve, Tanzania | Musese LJ, Kitegile AS, Kilawe CJ | Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl | 31-Mar-2024 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Ligustrum ovalifolium and Ligustrum vulgare plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Civera AV, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 07-Mar-2024 |
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| In Vitro and In Silico of Cholinesterases Inhibition and In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Melanoma Activity Investigations of Extracts Obtained from Selected Berberis Species | Tuzimski T, Petruczynik A, Kaproń B, Plech T, Makuch-Kocka A, Janiszewska D, Sugajski M, Buszewski B, Szultka-Młyńska M | Molecules | 28-Feb-2024 |
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| Phytotoxicity effect of a highly toxic isolate of Alternaria alternata metabolites from Iran | Sedighi A, Mohammadi A | Toxicon X | 15-Feb-2024 |
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| Pest categorisation of Malacosoma parallela | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Gonthier P, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Grégoire J, Malumphy C, Gobbi A, Kertesz V, Maiorano A, MacLeod A | EFSA J | 22-Jan-2024 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Corylus avellana plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Civera AV, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 12-Jan-2024 |
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| Radio Telemetry and Harmonic Radar Tracking of the Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (White) (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) | Siderhurst MS, Murman KM, Kaye KT, Wallace MS, Cooperband MF | Insects | 30-Dec-2023 |
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| Recent Applications of Protoberberines as Privileged Starting Materials for the Development of Novel Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agents: A Concise Review (2017–2023) | Valipour M, Zakeri Khatir Z, Abdollahi E, Ayati A | ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci | 28-Dec-2023 |
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| Update of the Xylella spp. host plant database – systematic literature search up to 30 June 2023 | Gibin D, Gutierrez Linares A, Fasanelli E, Pasinato L, Delbianco A | EFSA J | 15-Dec-2023 |
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| Temporal variation of allergenic potential in urban parks during the vegetation period: a case study from Bratislava, Slovakia | Zahradníková E, Rendeková A, Ščevková J | Environ Sci Pollut Res Int | 05-Dec-2023 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Quercus petraea plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Iacopetti G, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 30-Oct-2023 |
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| Commodity risk assessment of Quercus robur plants from the UK | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Iacopetti G, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P | EFSA J | 30-Oct-2023 |
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| Plant Extracts as Skin Care and Therapeutic Agents | Michalak M | Int J Mol Sci | 22-Oct-2023 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |