The Amur barberry (Berberis amurensis) belongs to Berberidaceae (the Barberry family). It is a small deciduous tree that is native to Japan, the Korea Peninsula, northeastern China and the Russian Far East. This trre grows in deciduous broad-leaved forests in mountainous area and can reach about 3 m in height. The spines up to 20 mm long bear on the smaller branches. The leaves are elliptical, paper-thin, up to 10 cm long. The edge of leaf has fine spiny serrations. The racemes are borne on the tips of short branches, and a dozen or so yellow flowers hang down and bloom from May to June. The fruits are berries, red, oblong, about 10 mm long, and ripen in October.