22/09/2026
As we continue to highlight invasive species you might spot around Michigan’s trails, we think you’ll love this one…well, at least the ticks do. 😬 Say hello to Japanese barberry (or “bruh-berry” as it was coined when we told somebody about the ticks). Let’s explain.
Do you like hiking through thorny underbrush? If you said yes, please find help. If you said no, that’s good and you should not be a fan of barberry. These common landscaping plants have unfortunately escaped into wooded areas, where they literally change the pH of soil around them. This invasive feeds very few insects, meaning birds, mammals and other insects can’t eat them. You know what does enjoy them? Ticks!
These shrubs provide a humid environment that ticks LOVE. There can be 12 times as many black-legged ticks in areas with this invasive present as areas without. Yeah. Bet you want to know what they look like now, don’t you?
To identify Japanese barberry, look for spoon-shaped leaves that have a sharp spine where they attach (shown in the photo).
How can you help stop the spread to new areas?
✅ Clean your shoes, pets and gear to slow the spread of seeds from this invasive species.
✅ Don’t. Buy. It. Fairly easy as this plant will no longer be legal to sell in Michigan come January, 2028.
✅ If you have these shrubs around your home, remove and replant native shrubs.
These steps will help reduce the chances that more trails get surrounded by this thorny mess. As always, we’ll add some info in the comments to give you more resources, and PLEASE remember to check for ticks after an excursion into the outdoors especially in early spring and summer. Multiply that by 12 if you’ve stumbled into some barberry. 🤦♀️
