Christmasberry is a woody evergreen shrub, a wetland species that is highly salt tolerant. It can grow 3-8' tall. It is best suited for coastal landscapes, but is very adaptable and can be acclimated to a variety of sites. It loves the sun and produces delicate flowers that vary in color from bluish-white to deep lavender. Flowers typically appear in the fall, although in the Tampa Bay area they can flower intermittently throughout the year. In my garden it has been blooming most of the year but a larger flush of blooms and berries between mid-October through December.
Christmasberry gets its common name from the bright red, egg-shaped berries that it produces in abundance in December helping our winter bird population when little else has berries. It has also been referred to as Carolina desert-thorn, which is a reference to the occasional thorns borne on its branches. Although less thorny than most rose bushes based on my vast rose growing experience.
AC