Callicarpa

摘要

Callicarpa is not a widely known genus, but once puoplo hove seen its vibrant purple berries, they do not forget it in a hurry. The name comes from the Greek for "beautiful berry", reflected in its common name in the USA, beautyberry. The most popularvariety sold in the UK, Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' Award of Garden Merit (AGM), is outstanding, but other options should not be overlooked. There are a staggering number of species across Asia and America - anything between 40 and 150. These are all trees and shrubs, the temperate species being deciduous and the tropical species evergreen. Those available in the UK are neatly formed, deciduous shrubs that reach 1 -3m. Their main feature is the clusters of small, brightly-coloured fruits that are borne along the length of the stems in autumn.