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Planting trees and shrubs for wildlife can be a challenge when there are a lot of deer around. One shrub that provides an excellent food source for wildlife, yet deer tend to leave it alone, is Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii). The multiple stems and dense branches of the Japanese barberry are covered with sharp spines that make it inaccessible to deer.
Ted Walski, an NWTF Technical Committee representative and wildlife biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, says he plants barberry around field edges. “Barberry is well used by many different game species and provides excellent cover for cottontail rabbits.”

Japanese barberry can be grown in all but the farthest northern and southern reaches of the United States and will grow to be four to five feet tall and at least as wide. It is highly adaptable and will grow well in poor soil and under dry conditions. The shrub should be planted in the fall, winter or early spring in fairly open areas and requires at least a half-day of sun to thrive and produce fruit.

Barberry is one of the first shrubs to leaf out in the spring and will usually turn a variety of colors in the fall. From mid-April through May, small flowers are present but hard to see under the foliage. In October, barberry produces many bright, red berries that remain through much of the winter.

Many people use the red barberry variety in their landscaping. Its attractive red foliage grows throughout the warm months. Japanese barberry makes an excellent choice for wildlife plantings not only because it produces berries that are eaten by turkeys, quail, grouse, pheasant, songbirds and other wildlife, but also the berries persist through the winter when other food sources are scarce. It consistently produces fruit that generally grows above snow level.

Planting tips
Walski suggests planting barberry in patches large enough to support one or two flocks of turkeys. He also recommends using it as part of a layered food edge by planting a row of barberry with a row of autumn olive and then a row of crabapple, which will provide wildlife with excellent food variety and cover.
Any way it’s planted, barberry makes an area more attractive to wild turkeys and other wildlife. As a non-native subspecies, some states prohibit it from being planted, so check your state’s regulations.

How to order
Japanese barberry is available through the NWTF’s Project HELP (Habitat Enhancement Land Program). To order or request a free catalog, call 800-THE-NWTF.