It’s time to elevate your garden with this captivating deciduous shrub, Orange Rocket Barberry. This plant beckons with its brilliant orange-red foliage, creating a burst of color that transforms any landscape into a vibrant tapestry. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting your horticultural journey, the Orange Rocket Barberry is a delightful addition.
Hardy, compact, and resistant to deer, it thrives in various conditions. Plant it as a striking hedge, a dazzling border, or a standalone showpiece—it effortlessly adapts. Low maintenance and visually stunning, growing Orange Rocket Barberry promises to infuse your outdoor space with year-round allure.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Award-winning Berberis thunbergii ‘Orange Rocket’ (Japanese Barberry) is a compact, upright, deciduous shrub with small, vibrant coral-orange new leaves that change to mid-green in summer before turning brilliant shades of red-orange in the fall. Tiny, scented, pale yellow flowers appear in early summer, but are insignificant in comparison to the foliage. They are followed by an abundant crop of bright crimson-red berries in the fall, which are attractive to birds and often remain on the spiny stems after the leaves have fallen, therefore extending the season of interest of this ornamental shrub through the winter. ‘Orange Rocket’ is perfect for brightening borders or containers.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Japanese barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ requires ample amounts of sunlight to maintain its brightly colored leaves with a minimum of 6-7 hours of direct sunlight. As it is remarkably tolerant of a variety of conditions, it will grow in partial sun and even under only 80% of full sun. However, when grown in shade, its colorful foliage will turn greenish.
Temperature
Japanese barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ handles temperature extremes well, being able to survive temperatures down to -25 ℃. As it is a low feeder, it also doesn’t require much watering. Drainage is an important factor, and in a normally draining soil, you can water your japanese barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ only when the top 5 cm of soil go dry.
Watering
One good feature of the Orange Rocket Barberry is its drought-tolerant once established. This means they’ll be fine even if you don’t water regularly. It’s best to wait for the top three inches of the soil to dry to prevent overwatering. Otherwise, the root system of barberry shrubs will quickly rot.
In times of severe heat, providing mulch will help conserve moisture in the soil. This is primarily helpful when establishing young plants in the outdoor garden. Constantly water the soil profoundly but sparingly.
Soil
Japanese barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soil (6.0-6.5 pH). It can grow in all soil types (sandy, loamy and clay), but you should add certain amendments. If you are planting in quick-draining soil, mix in some peat moss or compost to improve drainage. Organic compost can also improve the acidity of your soil.
Fertilizing
Japanese barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ is a light feeder but will benefit from some additional nutrition. You can apply some slow-release shrub-type fertilizers with higher nitrogen content. If using organic fertilizer like manor, be sure to mix in some with the topsoil. Mulches like wood chips, shredded bark or pine needles will provide additional organic matter as they slowly decompose. About a 5 cm layer of mulch should be applied around the plant, but not next to the trunk as this can promote stem rot.
Planting Instructions
Japanese barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ is best grown from a seedling. Dig a hole two times wider and the same depth as the height of the plant’s root ball. If planting in well-drained soil, the upper edge of the root ball should be roughly the same level as the topsoil. If the soil drains too quickly, the root ball will fall inside the hole a bit. In that case, it should be roughly 2.5 cm above the ground level. Upon setting your plant into the planting hole, fill it with the soil, and water generously at the end. It is always smart to add root stimulator to the water after planting, which is easily available at most gardening stores.
Pruning
Japanese barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ does not necessarily require pruning, but pruning can significantly increase its vigor. Also, if planting japanese barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ as a hedge plant, you should get an early start in properly shaping it. By trimming branches, you can thin the crown to improve ventilation and sunlight. This reduces humidity and the development of leaf pathogens (they thrive more in humid and dark places).
Pruning should be performed in spring to avoid exposing bare and growing tissues to too much moisture during autumn or frost damage during winter. Trim the old and infected branches, and branches that grow outside of the shape you desire. The golden rule is that not to cut away more than 1/3 of its canopy, and all cuts should be on a slight angle facing away from the bud. Always wear gloves when trimming japanese barberry ‘Orange Rocket’. Remember to disinfect your tools at the beginning to minimize the chances of cross-contamination.
Propagation
Japanese barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ is a cultivar valued for its vibrant foliage and upright, compact growth habit. Propagation is predominantly achieved through cuttings. Utilize healthy, non-flowering shoots for best results. The cut shoots should be placed in well-draining soil and kept under conditions that favor high humidity and warmth to promote root development. Rooting hormone can enhance the success rate and should be applied to the cut end before planting.
Transplanting
The best timing to relocate japanese barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ is during the temperate embrace of late spring or the gentle threshold of autumn. Position japanese barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ in a sun-kissed spot with well-draining soil to ensure a seamless transition.
Potting
Planting Orange Rocket Barberry in pots and small container sizes is ideal. It allows you to move the plant from one location to another. Just make sure to repot older plants to bigger containers to prevent root-bound that may cause plant deterioration.
Pests and Diseases
One good feature of Orange Rocket Barberry is its improved pest resistance. You wouldn’t have to worry about it getting severely infested with annoying creatures. Although scales, aphids, and mealybugs can be an occasional problem, they can’t damage the plant severely.
Watch out for common diseases such as powdery mildew, rust, and canker, which can sometimes trouble your plant. Proper spacing and air circulation in the landscape usually prevent such problems.
III. Uses and Benefits
Japanese Barberry ‘Orange Rocket’ is very adaptable. Excellent choice as a single specimen plant, massed in beds, borders, as informal screens or hedges.
