My sister on the Isle of Wight has a callicarpa approx. 20 yrs old which is in full sun, about 10-12 ft tall, growing in good soil and loaded with berries each year. Except the year a flock of red wings called in and stripped it within an hour. Mine is approx. 6 ft tall, 10 yrs old, growing in full sun, in poor shallow soil. It gets the occasional feed of Growmore. We have discovered callicarpa do not like being pruned as they fruit on last years growth. My sister now has to trim hers back around the lower half to get down her path. Mine is in an open location, again, quite bushy lower down. It seems to throw straight upright growth from the centre then bush out as it matures. This year is the first time mine has been loaded with berries, spectacular but brief. It has now been almost stripped, by blackcaps apparently. From the comments above it seems soil, aspect and climate will as ever dictate what yours will do. Mine does not appear to be affected by drought, frost or flooding. When full of berries it is wonderful.
Oh o can’t wait for mine to mature! its currently sitting at around 60cm or so, but seems very happy and faces south, on well drained soil with clay beneath. I hope the birds are deterred by our two cats which may mean I get to actually enjoy the berries (pre cats, the amelanchier was stripped within a week by blackbirds and wood pigeons - don’t mind at all, as I love birds, but the pigeons tried to get into leader branch and broke it off).
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Mine is approx. 6 ft tall, 10 yrs old, growing in full sun, in poor shallow soil. It gets the occasional feed of Growmore.
We have discovered callicarpa do not like being pruned as they fruit on last years growth.
My sister now has to trim hers back around the lower half to get down her path. Mine is in an open location, again, quite bushy lower down. It seems to throw straight upright growth from the centre then bush out as it matures. This year is the first time mine has been loaded with berries, spectacular but brief. It has now been almost stripped, by blackcaps apparently.
From the comments above it seems soil, aspect and climate will as ever dictate what yours will do. Mine does not appear to be affected by drought, frost or flooding. When full of berries it is wonderful.
its currently sitting at around 60cm or so, but seems very happy and faces south, on well drained soil with clay beneath.
I hope the birds are deterred by our two cats which may mean I get to actually enjoy the berries (pre cats, the amelanchier was stripped within a week by blackbirds and wood pigeons - don’t mind at all, as I love birds, but the pigeons tried to get into leader branch and broke it off).