Tangelo Barberry

Berberis thunbergii 'Tangelo'

Growzone: 4-8

The Tangelo Barberry has an eloquent orange starting growth that develops a characteristic yellow/green mix as it matures. One of the more heartier variegated cultivars, it keeps its luster from spring into fall.

Size	Price	Quantity
1 GAL	$27.95
3 GAL	$52.95

Purchase Recommended Add-ons

Espoma Bio-Tone Plus Starter Plus $14.95

Full Description

Specifications

Growing Zone:	4-8
Mature Height:	3 to 4 feet
Mature Width:	3 to 4 feet
Classification:	Broad Leaved deciduous shrub
Sunlight:	full sun
Habit:	Mounded habit
Flower Color:	inconspicuous
Foliage:	orange new growth yellow/green at maturity
Soil Condition:	Any well drained slightly acidic soil
Water Requirements:	Water well until established.
Uses:	Use as a vertical feature or to add color to the mixed border.

Planting Info

We suggest when planting your newly purchased Tangelo Barberry plants that you dig a hole twice as wide as the root system but not deeper. Depending on the quality of your existing soil you may need to add a locally sourced compost or topsoil to the back-fill soil. We do not recommend using straight topsoil or compost as a back-fill soil because more times than not these products will retain entirely to much moisture and will cause the root system to rot. Adding compost or topsoil will help the young feeder roots of Tangelo Barberry to spread through the loose, nutrient rich soil, much easier than if you used solely the existing soil which more times than not will be hard and compacted. The most common cause of plant death after transplanting is planting the new plant to deep. That is why we do not recommend planting in a hole any deeper than the soil line of the plant in the pot. A good rule is that you should still be able to see the soil the plant was grown in after back-filling the hole. Bio-tone starter fertilizer is a great starter fertilizer that provides plants with mycorrhizae fungus. It is a naturally occurring beneficial fungus that colonizes on the new growing roots of plants. It creates a barrier between the roots of the plant and fungus and pathogens that can cause root rot. We love this product and use it on all plants we install in our own gardens. Bio-tone is a gardeners best friend and can help guarantee your success. After back filling and lightly compacting the 50/50 mix of existing soil and compost give the Tangelo Barberry a good deep watering. This is not to be rushed. Most of the water you put on the plant at first will run away from the plant until the soil is soaked. A general rule of thumb is to count to 5 for every one gallon of pot size. For example a one gallon pot would be watered until you count to 5 a three gallon pot would be 15 and so on. Check the plant daily for the first week or so and then every other day there after. Water using the counting method for the first few weeks. Gator bag Jr. can be used to help aid in this process and also provide plants with a good soaking due to the slow release of the water into the root-zone of the plant. Soaker Hoses can also be used to water when planting a long hedge.

FAQs

How should I be fertilizing my tangelo barberry?

Apply an early spring fertilizer with a product such as Espoma Tree-tone or Plant-tone at the recommended rate this will give the plant a boost of nitrogen that will be needed for healthy abundant foliage. Follow this up with a early summer application of Espoma Flower-tone, this will provide the necessary nutrients and raise the acid level in the soil which Barberries favor. Espoma products are easy to use, just sprinkle around the base of the plant and water it in. Be careful with products such as miracle-grow as these products can burn newly planted plants when not used at the recommended rates. Slow-release fertilizer can help prevent rapid sucker growth that is vulnerable to diseases and insects.

Since an organic method of applying manure and/or compost around the roots produces excellent results and also improves the condition of the soil, this would be an excellent first line of attack. Organic additions to the soil can also be combined with a shot of chemical fertilizer for maximum effect.

If chemical fertilizers are used on your Tangelo Barberry, applying a slow-release, balanced fertilizer once a year in the spring is probably the simplest solution. There are many slow-release fertilizers on the market. If you can find a fertilizer formulated for shrubs and trees, this fertilizer would work well on Tangelo Barberry. However, slow-release is certainly not the only way to fertilizer barberries such as Tangelo Barberry. A less expensive fast release fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 will work just as well if applied twice during the early spring and early summer. If you are looking for a fertilizing routine tailored to your specific conditions, a soil sample should be taken and the fertilizer and trace elements matched to the needs of your soil.

Don’t fertilize Tangelo Barberry after August. Fall is the time for shrubs to begin preparing for dormancy. Fertilizing at this time may stimulate new growth that will be too tender to withstand the winter. In the South, a late May application and another in July would be about right. More northern areas may wish to fertilize only once in Early April or May.

The amount of chemical fertilizer used per plant will vary with the size of the plant and it’s root system. Over-fertilization can be much more detrimental than under-fertilization. “Fertilizer burn” can occur when too much fertilizer is applied, resulting in a drying out of the roots and damage or even death of the Tangelo Barberry. It is much, much better to err on the side of too little fertilizer than too much. When roots are burned, the first sign is often scorched looking leaves. If over-fertilization is severe, the plant may just wilt and die.

If you are a beginning gardener growing plants like Tangelo Barberry is very easy to grow however it may be helpful to know that a very small plant which is planted in the ground will take about 1/8 – 1/4 cup of fertilizer such as espoma organic shrub-tone. When fertilizing Tangelo Barberry in pots, be careful to apply a fertilizer that will not burn the roots (such as a slow release or a liquid fertilizer). A very large shrub in the ground will take 2 – 3 cups spread around the drip line of the branches (not next to the trunk). This is a very loose estimate, so please read the directions on the fertilizer before applying it.

Never fertilize a plant with a chemical fertilizer if the plant looks sick or wilted. If a plant is struggling due to a disease or root problems, the fertilizer will only add stress to it’s life. Try to cure the problem before adding fertilizer.

what type of mulch should I be using?

How should I be pruning my Tangelo Barberry?

Tangelo Barberry willow take to pruning and shearing very well, to either promote good color or maintain a manageable size. Pruning should be done while dormant, in either late winter or VERY early spring before any growth begins. You may hard prune it down to about 12” every few years, which will produce a lot of regrowth and a very dense plant. If you prefer a more open and natural form, simply remove up to one third of the branches down to the ground each year or two. By thinning rather than shearing you will have an 3 foot tall and wide, elegant mound of gorgeous deep orange foliage. Or shear as needed to maintain size, or every 4-6 weeks to produce new colorful growth.

Eventually your Tangelo Barberry will develop thick central branches that become trunk-like, particularly if you are not pruning hard every year. Growth will be dense to the ground. Maintenance pruning is generally necessary as twigs develop up the length of the bared trunks. If there are too many main trunks, a few may be pruned out completely depending on the form you desire.

Pruning has been described as a “combination of art and science.” I find pruning to be one of the most relaxing yet rewarding chores in the garden. Pruning a specific plant to look a specific way, involves art in creating a unique definition for a specific plant, and it involves science in understanding the physical growing habits of the plant to be pruned.

The most important reason for pruning Tangelo Barberry is to improve the overall health of the plant which in turn will reward you with a brilliant display of tri colored foliage. Many times, Tangelo Barberry that have not been pruned in a few years will develop dead or degenerative twigs. Removing the dead and dying limbs will minimize the possibility of diseases such as “die-back” and will also allow the plant to re-concentrate its energies and produce flowers.

Another reason for pruning Tangelo Barberry such as many times, a plant may outgrow its intended size in the landscape, and must be pruned to re-define its purpose. Pruning should always be associated with re-invigorating a plant by allowing it to focus its energies on producing more vigorous branches, foliage, and flowers.

Specific plant objectives require specific pruning techniques. If a Tangelo Barberry is being trained as a hedge , it would need to be pruned differently than if it were being grown as a shrub form. Screenings and hedges of barberries would need to be pruned for their specific purpose within the landscape.

It is also important to understand the specific growing characteristic of a certain barberries when pruning that particular plant.

It is important to always use sharp tools when pruning Tangelo Barberry or any plant for that matter. Knives, hand cutters, saws, and shears should be sharpened if necessary before pruning any plant. A sharp cut will heal quicker than a jagged cut, which will also minimize the likelihood of disease investing a cut during pruning. It is generally recommended by me to not use power equipment such as gas hedgers to prune plants.

Pruning large Tangelo Barberries may be minor or major. Its general purpose is to maintain or restore vigor to the plant. Large Tangelo Barberries that have been severely pruned have the advantage of a large root system that has excessive capacity, and its roots are capable of supplying all of its energies to a smaller number of branches and foliage. This enables the plant to increase its vigor, and become healthier. Pruning large barberries that are well established will enable the plant to have continued vigor, and lead to many more years of supplying beauty to the landscape.

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Additional Information

Acer palmatum has been cultivated in Japan for centuries and in temperate areas around the world since the 1800s. The first specimen of the tree reached England in 1820. When Swedish doctor-botanist Carl Peter Thunberg traveled in Japan late in the eighteenth century, he secreted out drawings of a small tree that would eventually become synonymous with the high art of oriental gardens. He gave it the species name palmatum after the hand-like shape of its leaves, similar to the centuries-old Japanese names kaede and momiji, references to the ‘hands’ of frogs and babies, respectively. For centuries Japanese horticulturalists have developed cultivars from maples found in Japan and nearby Korea and China. They are a popular choice for bonsai enthusiasts and have long been a subject in art. Numerous cultivars are currently available commercially and are a popular item at garden centers and other retail stores in Europe and North America. Red-leafed cultivars are the most popular, followed by cascading green shrubs with deeply dissected leaves. Preparations from the branches and leaves are used as a treatment in traditional Chinese medicine.