Black Stem Rust Quarantine Requirements for Barberry

​​​USDA-APHIS has a Black Stem Rust (BSR) quarantine that limits the kinds of barberry that can be present or sold in Wisconsin or other parts of the protected area. Only black stem rust-resistant barberry are allowed. In order to determine BSR resistance, plants are tested at the USDA Agricultural Research Service's cereal disease laboratory. Any nursery wanting to introduce a new barberry should first have the barberry tested for BSR-resistance and approved.​

Nurseries in the protected area that grow and sell barberry must obtain a USDA-APHIS BSR compliance agreement that is renewed annually, in order to sell and ship BSR-resistant barberry, Mahoberberis or Mahonia interstate. 

Areas Covered by the Federal BSR Quarantine

The quarantine applies to the entire states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and several protected counties in Washington State.

Invasive Barberries

Even if a variety of barberry is on the APHIS list as being BSR-resistant, shown in bold below, it still can NOT be sold in WI if it's listed as invasive under NR 40 rules.  A summary of invasive barberry that are restricted or prohibited by NR 40 are summarized in the table below. None of the invasive barberries listed in the table can be sold in Wisconsin.

​Barb​erry Type
​NR40 Status
​Type of Restricted or Prohibited Invasive Barberry
​Common barberry (Berberis vulgaris)
​Prohibited
Common barberry​
Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
​Restricted
Japanese barberry, parent type, variety atropurpurea, hybrid of B. thunbergii x B. koreana, and cultivars listed​​​​ below​
​Berberis thunbergii cultivars:

​Restricted

Sparkle, ‘Anderson’ Lustre Green™, Erecta, ‘Bailgreen’ Jade Carousel®, Angel Wings, Painter’s Palette, Inermis (‘Thornless’), Pow Wow, Golden Ring, Kelleriis, Kobold, ‘JN Variegated’ Stardust™ and Antares.​

​Variety atropurpurea cultivars:
​Restricted

Marshall Upright (‘Erecta’), Crimson Velvet, ‘Bailtwo’ Burgundy Carousel®, Red Rocket, ‘Monomb’ Cherry Bomb™, ‘Bailone’ Ruby Carousel®, JN Redleaf, Rose Glow and Silver Mile​.

​​Hybrid of B. thunbergii x B. koreana cultivars

​Restricted

Tara and 'Bailsel' Golden Carousel®


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