9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP
The show in my garden this time of year is the American Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana) - also known as French Mulberry. I have two varieties - this purple, and a white, more drooping shrub. Both take center stage.
This medium sized shrub is native to our area and can be grown in zones 5-10. The show-stopper, though are the bright purple to metallic berries - beloved by all types of birds. The flowers and leaves appear late in the spring, at least in my garden, but the berries last through most of the winter, and for the white variety, those wonderful drooping stems add a wonderful winter interest.
Though the leaves are greener in summer, aleady mine have turned a muted olive and are soft and a bit fuzzy to the touch. It's a fast-growin shrub, and I have to admit, I seem to be finding a number more volunteers each year. These can be transplanted. I find that the white variety, at least where it is growing now, seems to reproduce a bit faster than the purple.
It's going to be another wild week for me and I'll be in and out with classes and tours and lectures. We're also gleaning sweet potatoes for the hungry from a friend's fields ...
Hope your week is fabulous!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Beauty Bush
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Beautiful painting Lin. I love the varying shades in both the berries and the leaves and they move my eye right, left and from top to bottom. Interesting information too. I always love your botany lessons!!
Pace yourself and I hope you have time and energy to wet your brushes this week!
Big hugs,
Lorraine
Lovely job on this...amazing color and looseness. I agree with Lorraine, I enjoy your lessons on the flowers and trees that you post. Enjoy!
Well named and well captured by you!
Post a Comment