Barberry is one of those plants that should be in every garden. Versatile, easy, hardy and colorful, it’s hard to find another plant with so many uses.

Royal Burgundy (Berberis thunbergii “Gentry”) is a petite mounding version of this garden stalwart. It has small soft leaves that hold their purple/red color all summer without fading. They even turn darker in the fall – a ravishing black-red.

Its richly-colored leaves will flesh out foundation plantings. It plays well with others and mixes right in to existing borders and beds. It is a perfect habitat plant and blends into wild or natural gardens as well as formal gardens or Asian-inspired landscaping. It will cascade over rocks and spill toward garden pools. It nuzzles up to landscape boulders and softens the hard edges of concrete walks. It makes a great edging plant for evergreens. Planted in mass Royal Burgundy creates big pools of color. It is even beautiful in containers, both in leaf and out of season, when the berries shine on the bare stems.

Royal Burgundy Barberry is really a no-brainer. Buy one. Buy a dozen. There is always a place for this hard working beauty in the garden.