Barberry Helmond Pillar

Barberry 'Helmond Pillar' (Berberis thunbergii 'Helmond Pillar') is a narrow column of deep purple foliage that reaches about 1.8m tall and only 60cm wide. It gives a small garden vertical punctuation without giving up a metre of bed, and the colour runs from wine purple in spring to scarlet and orange before the leaves drop in autumn. Small yellow flowers appear in spring, though nobody buys it for those.

Why you'll love it

• Vertical colour in 60cm. The habit is naturally columnar, so it holds its shape without staking, clipping or support.
• Two distinct seasons. Deep purple through spring and summer, then scarlet and orange in autumn before it goes bare for winter.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, drought tolerant once established, and content in poor soil where fussier shrubs sulk.
• Almost no maintenance. It needs no annual pruning to keep its form, which is unusual for anything this narrow.

Where it works best

Feature planting and small gardens. One column beside a doorway, or a matched pair at a gate, does the work of a far larger shrub in a fraction of the footprint.

Hedging, borders and edging. Plant 50cm apart for a narrow columnar hedge barely wider than the fence behind it. The stems are thorny, so keep it back from paths and play areas.

Pots and containers. A pot 400mm or wider suits it, and container growing tends to hold it nearer 1.2m to 1.5m.

Growing Barberry 'Helmond Pillar' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun drives the purple; in shade the leaves turn muddy green and the column opens up. It belongs in cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and needs real winter cold to colour properly, so it is not a choice for subtropical or tropical zones.

Soil. Not fussy, and it will grow in poor or rocky ground, but it wants drainage. Avoid sites that stay wet after rain, and mulch 75mm deep clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. One application of complete slow release fertiliser in early spring is plenty.

Pruning. Very little is needed. Tidy any wayward stem in late winter while the plant is bare and the thorns are easy to see, and wear thick gloves.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tubestock and in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Both are young plants, typically 20cm to 40cm tall and not yet showing the column. The pack of ten is the sensible buy for a hedge or a repeated row, since plants this size are inexpensive to establish in numbers.

Because it is deciduous, stock dispatched in winter arrives as bare or sparsely leaved stems. That is normal, and it leafs up in spring. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Expect the column to read properly by the second or third season.

Plant care guides and related reading

• More plants with autumn colour
• Browse deciduous shrubs
• Compact plants for small gardens
• Evergreen or deciduous, and how to choose

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

50cm apart in a single row. The plants are so narrow that closer spacing wastes stock, and wider spacing leaves visible gaps between the columns.

Does it lose its leaves in winter?

Yes, it is deciduous. The leaves colour scarlet and orange, drop, and the bare upright stems stay put until new purple growth appears in spring.

Are the thorns a problem?

They are sharp and they catch clothing, so keep it clear of narrow paths, gates and areas where children play. On a boundary, the thorns are an advantage.