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Pernettya Mucronata or Gaultheria Mucronata

Kate#NewbieKate#Newbie Posts: 3
in Plants
Have just purchased ONE plant with gorgeous deep lilac berries.  Didn’t know what it was until I was home and able to look it up.  It says that male and female plants should be bought and planted together.  How can you tell a male from a female plant please?  And which one have I bought?  Newbie at Gardening.  Thank you 

Posts

  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    If it has berries then it is a female plant. It grows wild in my garden and is a bit of a weed - it suckers and birds will spread seed from the berries.
  • Kate#NewbieKate#Newbie Posts: 3
    Thank you Steephill.  Is it best to be potted then?  Guess I need to find a non flowering bush.  Thanks again
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    edited October 2020
    I have a female with lilac berries ..which I love and a few feet away the male.
    Perfectly well behaved.
    You need to buy Gaultheria mucronata mascula.
    It also has flowers...cute white ones..see  link.
    Quote www....
    "Gaultheria mucronata 'Mascula'is a male variety of this compact evergreen with small, glossy dark green leaves on red stems and copious white flowers in late spring and early summer which will pollinate the flowers of female varieties planted nearby, thus ensuring good crops of berries."


    https://www.google.com/search?q=GAULTHERIA+mucronata+mascula.&client=firefox-b-d&hl=en-US&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj26cfVwbnsAhXPMMAKHTJfCcYQ_AUoAXoECAYQAw&biw=1280&bih=579
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I've never found them too invasive either. I have a very nice white one, although it needs more room than it has. 
    They would normally be labelled male or female too, as long as you're buying from somewhere reputable. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Kate#NewbieKate#Newbie Posts: 3
    Thank you SilverSurfer and FairyGirl.  That’s very helpful.  I guess buying from a well known DIY store may mean I need to go to a garden centre proper.  Oh dear that’s going to be so hard 😉😂
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    Mine are self seeded and have spread along the bottom of a hedge covering about 10 metres now. That behavior makes them useful for filling out the bottom of hedges which have gone a bit sparse. I try to keep it down by eating the berries :D They don't have much of a flavour though and the blackbirds usually leave them till last in the garden. We always have some berried sprigs left for table decorations at Xmas.
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    Kate#Newbie said:
    Thank you SilverSurfer and FairyGirl.  That’s very helpful.  I guess buying from a well known DIY store may mean I need to go to a garden centre proper.  Oh dear that’s going to be so hard 😉😂
    Try e bay.
    I have used it with great success on some hard to find plants.
    Sometimes P & P is more than the tiny plant...be careful.

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=Gaultheria+mucronata+mascula.&_sacat=0
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
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