Here's the beauty... my beautyberry has berries!I first saw a Beautyberry on Pam's Digging blog and thought, "How pretty, but shoot, it probably isn't hardy in garden."
And I was right. She grows Callicarpa americana, hardy to USDA hardiness Zone 6. I'm in Zone 5b.
But then I found Callicarpa dichotoma 'Issai' last fall. It's hardy to Zone 5a.
It's done very well so far. First, it survived last summer in a container in a garden center/nursery. Then I bought it and it rode in the back of my truck down the highway, with the wind whipping it around. (Well, it really didn't whip around that much, but it sounds better to embellish the story a bit, and 'tis the season to embellish stories, being as it is an election year.) Then it survived the winter. Then it grew with nothing extra from me. No extra water, fertilizer or mulch. Then it bloomed, tiny little white, insignificant blooms. Then, berries!
I'm keeping it.
And here's the beast.
This is Sedum 'Frosty Morn', one of my bloom day flowers. Nice blooms, but the plant doesn't seem quite strong enough to hold them up. (I mentioned in my bloom day post that it had gotten all floppy but didn't show a picture of what "floppy" looked like.) I'm going to leave it alone because these succulent-like stems tend to break off easily if you try to move them too much.In fact, I'm a bit surprised some of the stems haven't broken off under the weight of the flowers.
Still, all in all, these Sedums are good fall flowers. I'm on the look out now for a couple of other varieties, including 'Purple Emporer' and 'Iceberg'.
Next year (when my garden will be perfect, because it is always perfect 'next year'), I'll watch this particular variety more closely and if it starts to look like it is going to get all floppy on me, I'll give it some support. Some years, they don't flop. I guess it depends on how much rain they get, and how tall they grow. (Oh my, I can't believe I wrote that obvious statement, next thing you know I'll be writing stuff like "when is the best time to pull a weed? As soon as you see it.")
Comments
I have some kind of plain-old, passalong sedum in the same family as yours, but it's barely in the bud stage. It grows in a small, rectangular hypertufa trough, so instead of thinking of it as flopping, I tell myself it's draping gracefully over the side of the container ;-]
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Carol, I had the same problem for years with what is probably that same sedum (looks like it) and then I started cutting it early in the season. I treat it like mums - pinch or cut back until July 4th and you'll not have that flopping problem and you'll still have lots of blooms. Try it! I think you'll be much happier with it.
The Beauty Berry is very attractive. Amazing how they travel home in the back of our vehicles and still live. Sometimes, my journey shakes all the soil out.
In some areas I stake them.
Come by and visit if you have time.
Patsi
Your asides had me smiling. :-)
I've purchased several "grow through rings" (my own description). They come in different sizes. Some are just metal wire circles, and some are circles with a grid throughout, all with 3 attachable/detachable legs. I place these over peonies, sedum, catmint, etc. Anything I want to give support as it grows. :-) Beautyberries are just that, aren't they? Thanks for the post.