Our gardens and public spaces abound with barberry, but for the most part, the thorny shrubs we see are Berberis thunbergii 'Rose Glow' or 'Crimson Pigmy.' Here's a change of pace: wintergreen barberry, Berberis julianae, which has the same thorny stems -- making it a good barrier plant -- but, instead of losing all its leaves for winter, it keeps them. Its leaves are dark green, but take on burgundy tones in winter. Wintergreen barberry grows into a sizable shrub, up to 8 feet high and 7 feet wide, but it takes pruning well and can be made into a formal (and formidable) hedge. Clusters of yellow flowers appear in spring. The shrub takes full sun or part shade, and withstands dry soil once established. Berberis julianae is a 2008 Great Plant Pick (greatplantpicks.org).

-- Marty Wingate