Conservation Magazine

The Japanese barberry is a pretty little bush – thorny, yes, but the bright red berries can brighten up a winter garden. But the barberry has a dark side: Many U.S. states and Canada now ban the plant’s sale because of its prowess as an invader. To sidestep such rules, some nurseries now tout certain varieties of barberry and other banned plants as “less invasive.” But that label probably won’t stand up to scientific scrutiny, a new study warns.  For the full story, http://www.conservationmagazine.org/2011/10/buyer-beware-2/ .