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Callicarpa pedunculata
Lamiaceae FAMILY

Callicarpa pedunculata

Callicarpa pedunculata

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Fresh and crushed leaves are used to stupefy fish, shrimp and eels[1]. The plant is suspected of being toxic to cattle but the evidence was not conclusive[2].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

Callicarpa pedunculata is found from the warm temperate regions of southern China through the tropics of southern Asia to the Pacific. It is unlikely to be very cold hardy, though one report says that it can be found in alpine regions. Plants are likely to succeed outdoors in warm temperate to tropical zones. Requires a sunny position or light dappled shade[3, 4]. Prefers a highly fertile well-drained loamy soil[3, 4]. Requires cross-pollination for good fruit production[5]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[4].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse[6]. Only just cover the seed[7]. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 18°c[7]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood 10cm long, mid summer in a frame. High percentage[6]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth with a heel[6] taken in early spring[4]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Callicarpa+pedunculata>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Plant Resources of Southeast Asia — http://proseanet.org/ ↩︎Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
  2. [2]Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants — http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html ↩︎An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
  3. [3]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  4. [4]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  5. [5]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  6. [6]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  7. [7]Growing from Seed. Volume 3. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1989 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
  8. [8]A Barefoot Doctors Manual. — ? · Running Press; Philadelphica. · 1977 · ISBN 0-914294-92-X ↩︎A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
  9. [9]Medicinal Plants of China — Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. · Reference Publications, Inc. · 1985 · ISBN 0-917256-20-4 ↩︎Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.