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| I planted an Issai beautyberry this spring and it bloomed and even had a little fruit. However, I was at a nursery the other day for something else and there were two other varieties of beautyberry available there: Early Amethyst and Profusion. Even though it's December and we've had snow and cold weather already, both of these varieties in the nursery had way more berries on them than my shrub, which kind of disappointed me this fall because the fruits were so tiny I could barely see them unless I was right next to the plant. Should I just be patient and hope that next year the berries will bloom earlier and be more numerous and big enough to see easily? The nursery plants were in much bigger pots than the one I got via mail order, so my plant is probably not as mature as these were, but the whole reason I bought this shrub was to enjoy the beautiful berries - and I can barely see the few that appeared very late in the fall. Should I wait and see what happens this growing season or buy the loaded-witih-fruit Early Amethyst while it's still available in the nursery? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| 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. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Mon, Dec 6, 10 at 9:40
| 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 |
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| 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! |
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- Posted by starterdude 5aOhio (plantdude47@yahoo.com) on Mon, Dec 6, 10 at 21:17
| Here is a picture of a "Issai' hedge that I had growing several years ago. Frank
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| 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! |
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| I think you should plant 'Profusion'. It does not even have to be cross-pollinated. And the cultivar name tells the story. |
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