Family Lamiaceae
Originating from China, Japan
An upright deciduous shrub or small tree with large glossy, dark green leaves, flushed purple when young and fragrant star-shaped white flowers with green sepals, held erect on long stalks in late summer followed by extraordinary, intense bright blue, waxy, pea-sized berries, surrounded by the sepals that turn pink.
Easy to train into a very elegant and ornamental single-trunked tree with a beautiful branching structure and a wide spreading canopy. Some people find the odour of the crushed leaves offensive; others find them to smell of peanuts.
Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in sun.
Height and spread after 6 – 8 years 3.5 x 3.5m
Mature height after 10 years, if not pruned, 4.5 x 4m
