Early Amethyst is identical to Issai except that the berries appear much earlier. Profusion is a cultivar of a different species, and, I think,a much larger plant. I've been happy for many years with Issai, and once it sets a full set of berries, it's spectacular for quite a long time in the fall.

becoming ESTABLISHED means a plants does what it is supposed to do.. and the rate it is supposed.. reliably ...

and in my world.. warped as it is.. no transplant is ESTABLISHED for at lest 2 years.. or more .. after planting ..

ergo ... i would not even think about berry production levels on a recent transplant .. and in fact.. the fact that you even actually got one berry is good ... implying the plant is basically pretty healthy .. it did not abort the berries from stress ...

so i would tend to suggest that is is a fools errand to go transplanting another.. thinking that next year you will get more ...

when i plant just about anything that flowers/berries ... i dont even look for flowers or berries for 2 years .... if they are there.. fine.. if not.. but the plant otherwise looks healthy ... so what.. they will come ... its like that old movie.. build it.. and they will come.. and right now.. your plant is building a root mass to make the big show ...

plants work on their own internal rhythms ... which really have nothing to do with your expectations .. if its alive.. and otherwise looks fine... as the song goes.. let it be ... [gawd.. a movie and a song reference in one post]

other than health.. about the only thing that can interfere with flower/berry production would be an excess of high nitro fertilizer.. like that which might be found in lawn fert.. should this plant be in the middle of the lawn ... more facts if you think this might be an issue

ken

There is always the native species, Callicarpa americana. Nice big berries on that one around here. I think 'Profusion' is a cultivar of the Chinese one and 'Issai' is too, although it is a different species.

Just more to consider!

Here is a picture of a "Issai' hedge that I had growing several years ago.

Frank

{{gwi:280142}}

Wow! This pictures and all the other advice convinced me to be patient and wait for my little Issai! It really is very healthy looking, and I guess I should indeed be happy that it even bore fruit at all in its first year.

Thanks, everybody!

I think you should plant 'Profusion'. It does not even have to be cross-pollinated. And the cultivar name tells the story.

Here is a link that might be useful: Google Image Search Results