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Also called Thunberg's barberry and red barberry. Part of barberry family Berberidaceae.
Native to eastern Asia. Invasive > learn+quiz Invasive > Global Invasive > in USA+Canada Invasive > report it! Invasive > in USA Invasive > in USFS (.pdf) Invasive > in Michigan
In areas where Japanese barberry is invasive, it promotes in humans the terrible and difficult-to-treat Lyme disease, for reasons having something to do with disease vectors deer family Cervidae, white-footed deer mice Peromyscus leucopus, black-legged deer ticks genus Ixodes, and the Lyme disease bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. [1]
In the 🇺🇸 USA, the USDA suggests those seeking a shrub with nice fruit replace this plant with native alternatives 🍓︎ strawberry bush Euonymus americanus, wax-myrtle Myrica cerifera, meadowsweet Spiraea latifolia or mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium. [2] And the Lehigh Gap Nature Center suggests those seeking scented flowers and nice fall color replace this plant with native alternative Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica. [3] More native alternatives (Missouri Botanical Garden).
🚼︎ For kids! This plant described in invasive species placemat (.pdf) series
Best Control Practices BCP (Michigan) (.pdf)
Discover Life Encyclopedia of Life Google Google images Michigan Flora Missouri Botanical Garden USDA PLANTS db USFS Wikipedia