Purple Beautyberry – Callicarpa dichotoma

A native of Japan and China, the Beautyberry will grow to about 2m if left unpruned or can be managed to a much smaller size. It is a great plant to grow in clumps, for hedging, as a border planting or in a pot. The purple berries are preceded by lavender pink blooms. The berries are quite tart and not suitable for humans however they are magnets to birds and will attract wildlife to the garden.

This species is frost and drought tolerant, however it will benefit from part shade in mid summer. It thrives in most soils, but prefers good drainage and a slightly alkaline to acidic soil.