This ‘invasive’ Jap barberry is the focus of a recently hatched scarenario from the NPN’s. They are saying that this plant is exacerbating the tick problem up north. When there is no political will to do something about excessive deer populations that, in turn, create excessive tick populations, you do the next best thing; blame a non-native plant. In psychology, transference is a common theme of the human psyche…and there is a boatload of transference in the NPN community, since humans are, ultimately, on the hook for the general state of the world. The Univ. of Delaware, Dept of Psychology would have more info about this condition. 🙂Some type of bagworm or webworm has a home/restaurant in this shrub. In all likelihood, it’s a native insect…eating this non-native plant (another brainless native animal eating the wrong food). Every year there are ‘sacks’ on this plant…and some years it’s covered with them. Looks like perpetuation of species to me.Pollinators are on board with pretty much any type of barberry you might have around.Shown are little, round flower buds of nutrition. These appear early in the spring…and the White-throated Sparrows have been waiting all winter for them. Birds get their shot of vitamin C from these berries. Why can’t they just take a tablet instead of eating the fruit and pooping the seeds all over the place? Stupid Birds! 🙂
