Bunchberry Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Bunchberry:
Previously known as:
- Callicarpa 'NCCX2'
- Phonetic Spelling
- kal-ee-KAR-pah dy-KOH-toh-mah kwang-tung-EN-sis
- Description
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Pearl Glam™ beautyberry is an advanced hybrid between Callicarpa dichotoma and C. kwangtungensis, in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. It was developed at our own NCSU Mountain Crop Improvement Lab in conjunction with Spring Meadow Nursery. Callicarpa comes from the Greek language, meaning “beautiful fruit.”
Pearl Glam™ beautyberry lives up to its trade name, putting on a spectacular show in the fall with glamorous, bright violet pearls adorning dark purple foliage, an upright form, and an early, prolific fruiting display. This compact plant grows to a mature height of 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
Grow it in well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade; however, it can become leggy in too much shade. This shrub can be pruned back to 6 inches in early spring to promote compactness and encourage the new wood on which blooming occurs. This plant is seldom damaged by deer and the seeds are not fertile so no new plants will germinate in your yard.
A fast-growing perennial, Pearl Glam™ beautyberry is a lovely ornamental shrub in mass plantings, borders, and even container plantings with its display of summer flowers and fall berries. Its colorful leaves and fruits make an interesting addition to a children's or woodland garden. Plant it along a shrub border or walkway, it makes an excellent hedge.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Problems: Relatively insect and disease free. Some of the diseases that affect beautyberry include leaf spot and black mold.
VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Callicarpa
- Species:
- dichotoma × kwangtungensis
- Family:
- Lamiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Wildlife Value:
- Callicarpa as a genus are a wonderful for wildlife. In the spring, the white flowers attract bees and other insects. The purple berries have a high moisture content and are a food source for more than 40 species of birds.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Rounded
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Winter
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Very showy lilac-violet fruit 1/8" diameter ripen in September and are showy through fall leaf drop and partially into winter. Seeds are infertile.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Description:
- Clusers of small pink to lavender cymes form in the leaf axils in the summer.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblong
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Elliptic to oblong 1-3 inch leaves purple-green with dark purple veins.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Walkways
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
