About
Callicarpa japonica 'Leucocarpa' is a deciduous shrub with a bushy growth habit. Its leaves are pale green, featuring an oval to lanceolate shape with a pointed tip. In late summer, the plant produces white flowers, which are succeeded by white berries in the fall.
About the genus
Callicarpa consists of shrubs that may be either evergreen or deciduous. They feature simple, opposite leaves and produce small flowers in shades of white, pink, or purple that cluster in the axils. These flowers give way to small fruits, which are often brightly colored. Planting multiple shrubs together enhances pollination, leading to better fruit production.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1-1.5 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, City and courtyard gardens
- Toxicity
- Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling Pets: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in fertile well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. Maybe cut back by severe weather, but seldom dies, usually resprouting from the base. It requires summer heat to ripen the wood.
- Pruning
- Pruning group 6
- Propagation
- Sow seed in containers in a cold frame in autumn or spring. Root softwood cuttings in spring, or semi-ripe cuttings with bottom heat in summer.
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely)