Berberis x ottawensis f. purpurea 'Superba' will turn your garden all the colours of the rainbow. When this hardy shrub's deciduous leaves first appear, they provide a striking purple backdrop to the yellow flowers it produces in April. Red is the next shade to be introduced to the palette, for it adorns the eye-catching berries that succeed the plant's blooms. As the season draws to a close, the Barberry's foliage takes on a similar golden-red tone before surrendering to the winter frost. By the new year, Berberis x ottawensis 'Auricoma' is rendered a bare-branched specimen shrub or hedge, ready to begin its colourful cycle again. Height: 2.5m (8'2); Spread: 2.5m (8'2).