Christmasberry is a
super salt- and drought-tolerant plant. It grows along dunes and at the
edges of salt ponds throughout the southeastern U.S. in Zones 7-11.
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Lovely lavender flowers develop into cheerful crimson
berries, about 1/2" across. The berries are edible (but they
are bird-preferred, not for human-consumin'). |
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Like other members of the nightshade family,
christmasberry has a vine-like, cascading growth habit. |
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It generally reaches a height of about 7 feet or
so before the branches become heavy and start to droop, eventually
cascading to the ground, and sending out new roots to stabilize
itself.
New plants develop from secondary branches and the whole
plant moves itself along the ground. This is just the effect you
want next to your seawall, or across your dunes. |
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Try some as an alternative to Scaevola, which is fine
for a while, but eventually gets too high and has to be cut and then looks
terrible. You just won't have that problem with christmasberry, with
its elegant, needle-like leaves. |
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Before poinsettias became popular, old ladies used to
ask, "Have you got your christmasberries yet?" |
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We have Christmasberries available in 3-gal. containers. They are
3'-4' tall. |
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