I have a bit of a Love / Hate relationship with my Callicarpa (Beauty Bush) tree. For much of the year it is dull and uninteresting, and its "structure" is decidedly straggly and all over the place. Its foliage is unremarkable. I don't have any photos of Callicarpa in Spring or early Summer for this very reason -- and because I only started blogging (and therefore photographing) in August this year!
BUT... when its berries form and adopt their disctinctive colour in late August / early September, I have to admit that Callicarpa fully redeems itself. It produces a huge mass of tiny yellowish / white flowers which eventually turn into small purple berries.
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| 19 September |
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| 30 September |
In the early Autumn, the leaves turn a reddish bronze colour.
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| 16 October |
Then the leaves drop completely, emphasising the berries even more.
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| 06 November |
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| 06 November |
And of course the berries will eventually fall too (those that aren't eaten by the birds), and the cycle comes full-circle. I'm left with a bare straggly shrub that I'm tempted to cut down altogether! If I didn't have my photographic record of this plant, its would probably be on the Disposals list right now.
I don't really know my trees and haven't come across Callicarpa's on-line or in real life before. I'd certainly remember if I came across a tree as attractive as that. The colour of the berries is fab. Definitely a keeper!
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the film "My fat greek wedding" where the father of the bride always claimed that the root of all american words was from greek? So, callicarpa is a greek compound word meaning "good fruit". Calli- comes from the word "kalos" meaning good, nice and -carpa comes from the word "karpos" meaning fruit, nut, etc. Do you feel better prepared for your next holiday in Greece? Did I help the bush to survive?
ReplyDeleteMariza; Unfortunately I have never been to Greece (except once to Athens airport, in transit!) Maybe one day... I am, like you, very interested in language, etymology and the origin of words in the English (not American!)language -- it's something I talk about a lot in my work as a lecturer, so thanks for the explanation of Callicarpa. Does the name suggest that the fruit is good to eat then, or just to look at?
ReplyDeletewow, it looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteIt sure looks like it redeems itself
So, the general consensus of opinion seems to be that Callicarpa deserves a reprieve! I shall keep it for at least another year. Might need a severe trim though.
ReplyDeleteWhat?? I can't believe that you have never really been to Greece. Almost every english person I know has been to Greece many times and hence they are very friendly to greek people in the UK. Do hurry though before they fill all the greek islands with thousands of wind turbines.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, callicarpa does not originate in Greece and it is just ornamental. I guess the name is like the word calligraphy "good-writing", which is just good to look at.
P.S. Any help with where to go in Greece will be of no trouble to me.
callicarpa is a great shrub giving good colour at this time of the year when there is not a lot else of interst in the garden
ReplyDeleteOh what a beautiful shrub - a keeper for sure! (and if not let me know, I'd happily take it off your hands!).
ReplyDeleteHow can you be so mean to a beautiful thing like that! Perhaps you could prune it a little...it would be a compromise.
ReplyDeleteSeems to me the color of the berries gets more gorgeous as the leaves drop. However, photo number 3 is just super with the color in the leaves and the berry color...stunning bush, stunning photo.
ReplyDeleteNOW, we get to American language, which is quite interesting really. My ancestors, from England and Ireland, spoke straight from Chaucer.I could hardly understand my own grandmother whose ancestors settled in Kentucky. There are many different accents and unusual local, colorful words in America. But I do know what you are saying...American slang is especially gross!
I think its a keeper - the berries are great. I like Mariza's Greek input (and I loved that film). Maybe something can be done through pruning to keep it under control in summer and not to shade too much of the garden?
ReplyDeleteGood post and Smart Blog
ReplyDeleteThanks for your good information and i hope to subscribe and visit my blog Ancient Greece and more Maps of Ancient Greece for Kids thanks again admin
train clematis to grow and provide blooms on the callicarpa. this will solve your problem. you can train more than one clematis variety with differing bloom times and get interest across the growing season without harming the callicarpa.
ReplyDelete