Forum home Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Callicarpa

MrsGardenMrsGarden Posts: 3,951

I have been contemplating getting a callicarpa profusion (will post a pic from google later).

I'm pretty sure I will be disappointed and it wont 'berry up' like the pictures or the ones I see in the garden centres.

I have never seen one in any gardens where I live - always a warning sign that they may not do well.

I have read up on care but I'm more interested in personal experiences of real gardeners (beginner to expert all included) rather than from a 'sales' point of view.

I would be really interested in your views especially if you grow this plant- I live in Yorkshire, have you found them disappointing, are they fussy about site and soil, growth habit (messy?), size in a few years and eventual size, pruning, does it need special care to produce berries, does the colour sometimes disappoint, what is it like in spring and summer, back/middle of border, easy or difficult care, can it grow in a pot, etc...

Thank you.

 

«13

Posts

  • MrsGardenMrsGarden Posts: 3,951

    <img src='data:image/jpeg;base64,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
  • MrsGardenMrsGarden Posts: 3,951

    http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608020052079149802&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0

    http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608005474960867450&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    I had 3 of these for 5 or 6 years. I don't think I had that many berries between the 3 of them in all that time



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Mine really struggle. Soil tends to dry out too much in summer and too damp in winter. I have struggled to get more than a few purple berries. I actually think it is not that attractive a plant when it does not have the berries on it.

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    I've seen some better than mine but never anything as seen in the photo. 

    Photoshop?



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • MrsGardenMrsGarden Posts: 3,951

    Thanks nut and blairs, confirms my suspicions unfortunately.

  • BookertooBookertoo Posts: 1,306

    The most wonderful of these shrubs grew (and possibly still does) in the garden of my family in Texas!  That might give a clue as to why they do not do terribly well here?

  • I am in Essex and have a beautiful Callicarpa which is covered in berries at the moment. It's dark outside at the moment but will post a picture of the full shrub tomorrow. I have only got a close up pic. of some of the berries (below).

    I love my bush which has grown a great deal this year. I bought one for my elderly neighbour next door as I thought my bush would berry better with another bush for pollination purposes, but I can't say it makes any difference. It is a low maintenance shrub which glows at this time of year and I wouldn't be without it. The berries persist for months and are often commented on - the bush is in my front garden in full sun.

    .

    image

     

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,064

    I tried this years ago but it froze to death in a bad winter.  However, a friend of mine who has a more sheltered garden has one and it has survived hard winters and usually has masses of berries in autumn.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • chickychicky Posts: 10,409

    We inherited a weedy specimen when we moved here - very few berries, and it soon came out as compost fodder.  But it might not have been profusion - different varieties often have differing levels of berries.

Sign In or Register to comment.