Barberry Bonsai for Sale

Pickup, Delivery, and Shipping Options/Policy

            Local pickup is free in the Columbus, Ohio area, or pickup is also available when I road trip, especially to bonsai shows around my area of the Midwest. Delivery is also free if not more than 15 minutes out of my way from home or on any of these trips. See here for the most updated list of pickup sites/delivery routes I will be making in the coming months. 

            If you would like to have any of my products shipped to you, see my Etsy page invivobonsai.etsy.com (almost all prices include shipping) or contact me if the item is not listed on my Etsy and I'll look into a cost estimate. Contacting me can also get you a cheaper price than buying through Etsy as there will be fewer fees and shipping multiple items can be combined.

            Trees are the hardest to ship due to height, unusual size, and uneven weight so these are ideal for the local pickup. I will try to add more trees this summer/fall to my online store here and Etsy though for your convenience.

About Barberry As Shrubs, a Potential Invader, and Bonsai Trees

            Read more on this species and how to identify and train them into bonsai here in my recent article. Briefly, while these make great bonsai due to their small leaves and colorful interest, there is no native barberry in the state of Ohio. Those listed here are Japanese barberry which is not officially listed as invasive in Ohio but they can escape cultivation. The European barberry with a more serrated leaf is known to be invasive here though and should not be propagated or allowed to set seeds.

Ryan's Barberry Bonsai for Sale

            The barberry bonsai and prebonsai options I have for sale are bonsai pictured below are all rescues from landscaping redesigns. These are available for pickup in Columbus, OH at my nursery or you may contact me (invivobonsai@gmail.com) with inquiries. Sometimes I travel to neighboring states so delivery may be a possibility with a 10% non-refundable deposit to hold the tree for you. Suggested prices are listed but feel free to make an offer.

BB1 - Clump style shohin/slightly larger collected in 2023

            $40 OBO

This barberry clump was dug in spring 2023 and photographed in fall 2023. In 2024 it has leafed out
vigorously and is ready to start bonsai training (I already started clip and grow this year, continued into 2025 with some deadwood work to shorten the tree)!

Update December 2025

            Over the last 2 years, I have begun styling it via clip and grow. The apex was shortened a bit and some deadwood was added there. It's a healthy plant ready for a repot in spring. It could go into a bonsai pot or stay in a deeper pot, but may benefit from a change of soil either way. It is currently in 100% perlite. I would still lean towards potting it in something oversized so the branches gain maturity/thickness faster.

Photographed December 2025. Night photography is a challenge with early sunsets, but you can see some that branches and clumps are starting to thicken and ramify in response to the clip and grow.

BB2 - Old, mature single trunk with deadwood collected in 2023

            $250 OBO. Large trunk barberries are very rare and old. Clump or smaller trunks are much more common.

This is the biggest single trunk barberry I've dug yet (so much so that I'm not sure I want to sell it!) It was dug in the spring of 2023 and photographed in the fall of 2023. In 2024 it has leafed out vigorously and is ready to start bonsai training (I already started clip and grow this year)!

Update December 2025

            This summer, I cleaned up the deadwood. Some areas that originally survived collection died back a bit over time or were dead the entire time. Bark was removed from these regions to preserve the deadwood and the live vein was exposed so that a proper callous would form and prevent further dieback. The hollow in the lower trunk is an attractive feature and combined with the live vein, there are 3 good potential fronts I see. This one has also been undergoing clip and grow progression since collection.

It is planted in 100% perlite and could get a repot in spring for new bonsai soil/a proper pot. I would still lean towards potting it in something oversized so the branches gain maturity/thickness faster.

December 2025.

December 2025.

December 2025. The branch on the left, I am waiting to see in spring how it does or if there will be any further dieback as I'm not sure about the health of the buds.

BB3 - Old, mature single trunk with deadwood collected in 2023

            $300 OBO. Large trunk barberries are very rare and old. Clump or smaller trunks are much more common.

I have one more big big barberry clump. It was dug in 2023 and photographed that fall as the other ones above were and is now fully recovered (I already started clip and grow this year). It could be trained either as a clump or in spring it could be separated into multiple pieces. Price $300 OBO.

Recently styled to expose deadwood and continue clip and grow in 2025 (ask for updated picture if interested).

Update December 2025

            This summer, I cleaned up the deadwood. Some areas that originally survived collection died back a bit over time or were dead the entire time. Bark was removed from these regions to preserve the deadwood and the live vein was exposed so that a proper callous would form and prevent further dieback. There is a hollow in the center that is an attractive feature. This one has also been undergoing clip and grow progression since collection.

It is planted in 100% pumice and could be repotted. I have been on the fence about whether I should cut the clump down the middle into 2 or leave it as one clump, there are definitely good options for the next owner. I would still lean towards potting it in something oversized so the branches gain maturity/thickness faster.