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Jesse Saylor
Berberidaceae
BERBERIS x mentorensis
Mentor Hybrid Barberry
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
The Mentor barberry is an exceptionally resilient shrub for hedging and deterring trespassers. It originated in Mentor, Ohio, as a hybridization between wintergreen barberry (Berberis julianae) and Japanese barberry (B. thunbergii). Slender yellowish yet stiff branch shoots grow from this generally rounded but upright shrub that's semi-evergreen. The colder the winter, the progressively more deciduous it becomes.
The new foliage in springtime is chartreuse-green, and then matures to green by summer. The oval leaf blades have toothed tips and have paler green undersides. Easily overlooked yellow flowers occur along the branches in spring, resulting in a flurry of bees for pollination. The ensuing fruits are also overlooked, being a drab red-brown. In autumn, Mentor barberry dazzles with a changeable yellow to orange to red display.
For faster growth and best performance, plant Mentor barberry in full to partial sun and any moist but well-drained soil. It is remarkably tolerate to a wide range of soil conditions, including the seemingly inhospitable environs of urban settings. Use it as a dense, impenetrable hedge (as it responds to sheering just fine) or as a specimen. Birds often use the shrub for cover from predators. One maintenance drawback is that the dense twigs tend to capture and retain garbage and leaf litter over time.
8 - 4
5 - 8
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Shrub
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade
4'-5' / 1.2m - 1.5m
5'-7' / 1.5m - 2.1m
Spring
Hybrid Origin
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Well Drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
Drought
Medium
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
Oval/Rounded
Spring, Fall
Insignificant
Yellow
Dark Red, Sienna
Green, Chartreuse
Green, Dark Green
Yellow, Orange, Orange Red
Tan
No
Single
Yes
Glossy
Semi-Evergreen
Smooth
Hedges, Screening / Wind Break
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