[5] B. thunbergii has deeply grooved, brown, spiny branches with a single (occasionally tridentine) spine (actually a highly modified leaf) at each shoot node.

[6] Berberis thunbergii is widely grown as an ornamental plant,[7] both in Japan and elsewhere in the temperate Northern Hemisphere.

In Brazil, the plant is popularly known as Japanese barberis, and is widely cultivated in hedges and flower beds.

[19] In recent years, Berberis thunbergii has been recognized as an invasive species in many parts of the eastern United States and Canada.

[21] Japanese barberry is prohibited from being a seed contaminant in Michigan and banned from sale in Massachusetts and West Virginia.

[29] Detailed information on how to control Japanese barberry is available in a Michigan Department of Natural Resources document.