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Plant details
A robust and easily grown shrub from China and Tibet, this is often planted agriculturally as cover for game birds. They love the ripe berries, hence the common name pheasant berry. It is an extremely handsome shrub with a long season of interest, from the time the shapely leaves emerge until berries fall in late autumn: even in winter the stems are a rich and satisfying green. The flowers are the main attraction, clear white inside burgundy-coloured bracts, which persist over the reddish-purple berries. Plants tolerate most soils and may be cut back hard.
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Genus: Leycesteria
Species: formosa
Plant type: Deciduous shrub
Flower colour: White
Foliage colour: Mid-green
Feature: Colourful bark, Flowers, Fruit, Attractive to wildlife
Sun exposure: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained/light, Clay/heavy, Acidic, Chalky/alkaline
Hardiness: Hardy
Skill level: Experienced
Height: 180cm
Spread: 180cm
Time to plant seeds: September to November
Time to divide plants: March to May
Reader reviews
deemac
This is a great shrub for the wildlife garden as the flowers are attractive to bees and many other insects and the berries are loved by birds. It is also a good plant to quickly fill gaps around the garden especially in hedges and when planted in groups it quickly forms a very attractive "thicket" where birds will find cover and nest sites
Beware though, once it has settled in it grows very fast (one of my own speciemens growing more than 18 inches in a week)so make sure it won't bloke paths etc. It is also faily easy to propagate from cuttings as well as seed and will also self seed given the chance
Gardening Grandma
This is a beautiful and easy-to-grow shrub. Cuttings are very easy to take and the berries often spring up as new plants, too. I can't imagine why this website suggests that it is for experienced gardeners, since I have found it very easy. It responds well to hard pruning and is very tough.
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