Invasive SpeciesJapanese barberry

Berberis thunbergii
FOUND by Waynflete4
2013-05-13
Portland
ID Confirmed
Quality checked by peers
Peer reviewed by
Field Notes
The date is May 13, 2013. The temperature is 51 degrees Fahrenheit. The sky above is sunny with scattered clouds. The weather conditions are slightly windy, and the grass is very dry. The location that we find this plant at is on the side of a road that is densely populated. Above a sidewalk, there is a stone wall with various plants growing on it. The plant we found is on the far right of the top of the stone wall. The area in which this plant is found has a dense, groomed grass. The area has other smaller, wider, and longer bushes. Across the street, there is a canopy of trees, but our area is not covered by any of these trees.
A sketch of our study site.
Supporting Evidence
Photo of my evidence.
This picture shows the size of the leaf. A Japanese Barberry is 2 to 4 cm in length, and this picture accurately displays the evidence. On our Vital Signs card, it shows that the leafs have an oval shape. The plant we found, like the plant on the card, has ovular leaves.
Photo of my evidence.
This photo shows the shape if the bush. A Japanese Barberry has a rounded dense top. This plant also has a dense rounded top.
Photo of my evidence.
This picture shows the throne that grow zig zag pattern with one thron and each point.
Species Observation: Species Looked For
Did you find it?: 
I think I found it
Scientific name:
Berberis thunbergii
Common name:
Japanese barberry
Count of individuals: 
1-10
Coverage: 
Reproduction: 
Flower (plants)
Sampling method: 
Just looking around
Photo of our sampling method.
Place Studied
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Map this species
Latitude: 
N 43.646232 °
Longitude: 
W -70.269374 °
Observation Site Information
A photo of our study site.
Habitat: 
Upland - Developed areas
Trip Information
Name:
Waynflete School campus
Trip date: 
Mon, 2013-05-13 12:30
Town or city: 
Portland
Type of investigation: 
Species and Habitat Survey
Ecosystem: 
Upland
Watershed: 
Presumpscot
Habitat Observations
Species diversity: 
Evidence of vectors: 
Paved road
Walking trail
People
Tree canopy cover: 
Soil moisture: 
Moist

Comments

Submitted by manyeyes on Fri, 2013-05-24 09:28.

Agreed! Your evidence

Agreed! Your evidence definitely points to this being Japanese barberry.

This particular plant looks like it was planted intentionally. Gardens are how many non-native plants get introduced to new places.

The nice rounded top seems to suggest that this plant is trimmed each year. When Japanese barberry grows in the absence of humans with trimmers, it's stems look more free, wandering, and reaching to me (that would make a nice start to a poem...).

You should check along that same street and see if you can find evidence of this planted barberry's seeds escaping into other yards!

Thanks for always keeping your eyes out for invasive barberry.

Submitted by Waynflete4 on Wed, 2013-05-29 10:43.

Thanks!

Thank you for the comment! We agree that it was planted intentionally for garden and decoration reasons/uses.
Waynflete Group 4