Beautiful Callicarpa

When the weather chills and the leaves fall to the ground, I am full of appreciation for those plants that shine in the winter.  Plants with pretty berries are particularly nice to have in the garden.  Not only do the berries provide some much needed color and interest, but they also feed the birds who visit the garden.  And of these berried plants, my favorite is the Beautyberry.

For years I have admired the Beautyberry, otherwise known as Callicarpa.  I have planted them in gardens and recommended them to my friends.  Finally, two years ago, I bought a little gallon sized callicarpa for my own garden, and now it is big enough to see from my desk window.  It's not quite big enough for me to cut branches just yet, but I will at least add a few of the berries to our Christmas wreath.

The variety I chose, C. bodinieri 'Profusion', is absolutely loaded with bright violet berries.  The plant is a graceful, interesting shrub in the spring and summer.  But Fall is when this plant really shines.  The leaves turn yellow and orange and the berries begin to ripen and color.

And when the leaves fall and the garden has taken on the winter hues of brown, green and gray, the callicarpa looks almost tropical in bright shades of violet.