Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is an invasive plant in Cape Breton Nova Scotia. It has also been associated with Lyme disease, forest regrowth suppression, erosion, and more. We recommend removing it and not planting it on this Island as we do not have the population to remove invasive plants once they get loose. Invasive plants are pollution that reproduces on its own. NOTE: Lyme has now been CONFIRMED on Cape Breton Island.

1. Invasive Plant Series pt. II
The Barbarous Japanese Barberry
Marian Whitcomb and David Quimby

2. Deer
White Footed Deer
Mice
(Peromyscus leucopus)

4. Japanese barberry (Berberis
thunbergii)
Seedling

5. Many Cultivars

7. Ixodes scapularis
black legged deer tick

8. Dog tick is bigger
…but any mammal or bird can carry deer ticks.

14. Where Lyme is endemic now

15. Lyme Disease symptoms

16. Bullseye rash Bell’s Palsy
and asymmetrical arthritis

17. …and there is more….
• Other diseases carried by the black legged
tick
• granulocytic anaplasmosis (ehrlichiosis)
Similar to flu
• Babesiosis protozoa can present as
malaria

18. Black Legged Tick
For safe removal-lift straight up

19. Tick Safety
• Tick check and bathe after being in woods.
• Long sleeves, pants hems into socks
• DEET repellent
• Permethrin clothing repellents
• Check your animals
• Remove tick and identify.
• If you find a deer tick, put in ziplock and
keep it. Monitoring is ongoing.

20. And there is even more…
• Prevents tree
seedlings from growing
• Physical hazard of
thorns
• Changes soil chemistry
• Contributes to
erosion

22. Suppression of forest growth

23. Spines! Ouch!

24. Erosion
(and altered soil chemistry)

25. • Where barberry has taken over woodland
areas, the plant can alter the soil
chemistry (pH) and increase nitrate levels,
making the soil inhospitable to existing
woodland trees and understory plants who
eventually decline along with the
associated wildlife that depend on them.

26. What to do
• Don’t buy or plant it
• Closely monitor woods around it
• Target where kids play, trails, special
natural areas.
• Eradication often is a two step approach
taking 2-3 years.
• Cut off the top growth just after flowering
• Burn or dig it out the following year
• Watch for seedlings or regrowth from roots
left in the ground.

28. Many alternatives

29. For more information:
Facebook: Cape Breton Invasive
Plants discussion/latest info.
Pinterest: Invasive Plants of Cape
Breton, Native Plants Cape Breton, and
Weeds Common and Annoying
photos, descriptions, eradication methods, garden
worthy natives, and garden weeds
Blogspot: Invasive Plant of Cape Breton (in
development) a place for documents, research,
interactive tracking/reporting maps, and emerging
threats.