Callicarpa

Sunset

Zones vary by species.

Full, Partial

Moderate

Beautyberry
Verbenaceae
Deciduous, Shrubs

These graceful shrubs with arching branches are cultivated for their pleasing fruit display. Small lilac or pink flowers in summer are followed by tight clusters of little, round, violet to purple fruits that persist well into winter. Effective in woodland gardens or massed in shrub borders. Bloom and fruit occur on current season’s growth, so in late winter remove about a third of oldest stems or lop whole plant low to ground. In coldest regions, may freeze to ground but comes back from roots.

Callicarpa bodinieri

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Callicarpa bodinieri

Native to China. Grows to 6 ft. or more and nearly as wide, with willowlike leaves that turn pink or orange to purple in fall.

Callicarpa dichotoma

Native to China, Korea, Japan. About 4 ft. tall and slightly wider, with slender branches that sweep the ground. Resembles a smaller, finer-textured Callicarpa bodinieri, and the most well-mannered of the Callicarpas.