Golden Rocket® Upright Yellow Barberry

Golden Rocket® is a narrow, upright Japanese barberry selected for bright yellow leaves and a columnar habit. The cultivar’s patent describes small white spring flowers as a secondary seasonal feature. ## Form and Garden Use The [Golden Rocket plant patent](https://patents.google.com/patent/USPP18626P2/en) identifies Berberis thunbergii ‘Golden Rocket’ and describes a plant approximately 130 centimetres tall by 40 centimetres wide after eight years. It records bright yellow summer foliage and an upright columnar form. The narrow outline can add vertical structure to a sunny border, foundation planting, or container. ## Placement and Seasonal Interest Choose full sun to light shade and well-drained soil. The patent reports USDA zone 5 hardiness. General Japanese barberry culture is covered in the [University of Florida guide](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP066), while the cultivar patent provides the exact selection’s form, foliage, and flower details. Leave room for the mature branches instead of clipping the shrub tightly into a column. ## Maintenance Prune lightly after flowering or as needed to remove damaged stems. Avoid severe cuts into older wood, and use gloves when handling the spiny branches. Water during establishment and during extended dry weather.