Beautyberry

I only had one picture on the camera, so this brief post will be devoted to a great shrub for fall.  Meet Callilcarpa dichotoma 'Issai', also known as purple beautyberry.  There are undoubtedly other great cultivars of this species available. 'Issai' just happens to be the one we have planted at Welkinweir.  You can see this planted along the drive above the stone wall lining the west lawn.  The characteristic of the cultivar 'Issai' is that it fruits heavily as a young plant, according to Dirr.  Ours have a great fruit display.

Dirr also considers C. dichotoma the best garden form compared to other Callicarpa species. The branches arch beautifully, nearly reaching the ground at the tips.  The fruit is displayed openly on the upperside of the stem and is a striking purple which stands out against the yellowish green leaves below.  The fruits show up in August and will continue to look great through October.  They are probably best planted in mass, rather than as a single specimen shrub.  In gardens further north, this shrub may die back each winter, but here at Welkinweir it has never been cut back.

Callicarpa, beautyberry

Visit Welkinweir to see what other plants put on an interesting front for fall.  http://welkinweir.org/