Yay, all the pics loaded! Thanks if folks can help me name the monster :)

barberry - invasive in VA, I kill tons of them

With the visible thorns, fruit and emerging flower buds, I'd say some sort of barberry, Berberis species. But not knowing what might be common in your area, I'd hesitate to get any more specific. I am only familiar with a couple of the endless number of species.

Barberry. Ok. It's just the one of them back there. It has grown fast over the last few years. Noted last fall it needed tending too since a trail is right next to it. I don't want to remove it since it is a good landmark back there. But I won't feel guilty giving it a hard haircut to keep the path clear.

Berberis thunbergii, Japanese Barberry. Thunbergii is the species most often

seen growing in the wild. I found a bush growing in the middle of the woods, with no other barberries nearby.

They are highly invasive into the natural environment.

Non-native Berberis are a much bigger problem in the south than the north. We have our share of Asian honeysuckles, buckthorn, Phragmites, Garlic Mustard, etc. Ive never seen cultivated Barberries germinate from seed up here. Maybe the seeds only germinate after passing through a bird's digestive system? Maybe Berberis seeds are killed by our below freezing winters?

I've pulled up a bunch of barberry volunteers in Maine.

In the early 1900s during WW1, states were banning the sale of Berberis species, and having eradication projects, after it was discovered that Berberis host a wheat rust, during one phase of the rust's life cycle. The government took the drastic measures, so that wheat crops wouldn't suffer huge losses during a world war. By the 1970s the bans were lifted because of newer rust resistant wheat cultivars, and also more rust resistant Berberis cultivars. There is one native barberry, Berberis canadensis, that is endemic to Apallachia. It's impossible to find any source for native Berberis. I found a source selling plants, and I ordered 2 of them, but I was sent 2 Berberis thunbergii instead of the native. Barberries are also believed to attract ticks.

Berberis canadensis

Berberis canadensis has leaves with serrated margins, and mature stems have three spines at every junction instead of 1 spine.

Range of Berberis canadensis

https://www.ars.usda.gov/midwest-area/stpaul/cereal-disease-lab/docs/barberry/barberry/

@ Jay - Here in New England, I don't grow this, but I have a neighbor who has one across the street from me. I have found a few seedlings in my beds from his Barberry. But not as many as the Bittersweet produces that another neighbor has on his fence.

It cohabits with evil Buckthorn

I hate this plant with a passion

Dandy_line, do you have Lonicera canadensis growing in your area? The Bonap map shows a lot of it up there?

Barberry grows and thrives up here in the North Z3a. It seems to spread easily even tho it can get down to -40f/c at times.

I am finding significant numbers of plants in our wild Arboretum acreage. It cohabits with Buckthorn so I get a twofer when taking them out together.

Jay-I haven't seen L. canadensis in my area but I will keep a lookout or it. I have some dioica on my property tho.