This compact deciduous shrub has open arching branches and lanceolate leaves two to five inches long with long pointed tips. They are bronze-purple when young, dark green through most of the growing season , and take on a purplish-pink tint in the fall. In summer pale pink flowers are produced in cymes along the stem in the axils of the leaves and are followed by clusters of small, glossy,metallic violet-purple fruit in fall. The fruits persist after leaf drop but not much longer. ‘Profusion’ is known for the abundance of its berries. Unlike most beautyberries, ‘Profussion’ is self fertile and so fruits well on its own.
Type: Deciduous shrub
Outstanding Feature: Berries
Form: Rounded
Growth Rate: Rapid
Bloom: Small pink flowers in cymes in the leaf axils in summer
Size: 6’ H x 6’ W
Light: Full sun to light shade
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 6-8
Care: Prune in early spring, cutting back older stems. Plants can be rejuvenated by pruning to the ground and apply high nitrogen fertilizer all summer.
Pests and Diseases: None of significance
Propagation: Softwood cuttings in late spring, semi-ripe cuttings pulled off with heel in summer.
Karen Meyers