Callicarpa kochiana aka Pi Pa Ye Zi Zhu

Callicarpa kochiana is a woody shrub in the mint family. The family's name is Lamiaceae. Its native range covers parts of east Asia. Kew lists southeast China and northern Vietnam. It also lists Hainan, Taiwan, and parts of Japan. Useful Tropical Plants adds central and southern Japan. Kew calls its climate subtropical. In China, its range spans warm temperate and tropical areas. The RHS says it is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The shrub grows about 3–13 feet [1–4 metres] tall. Useful Tropical Plants gives a height of 8 feet [2.5 metres]. It does not call this a garden average. The records give no mature width or growth rate. Wild plants grow at forest edges and in valley forests. They also grow on mountain slopes. Known sites stand 328–2,953 feet [100–900 metres] above sea level. These facts show where it grows in the wild. They do not show how it fares in gardens.

Useful Tropical Plants links its Chinese range to hardiness zones 8 upward. This sets no upper zone limit for growing it. The page says it prefers rich loam that drains well. It says cross-pollination helps the shrub form good fruit crops. This means pollen moves from one plant to another. The evidence gives no flower colour or bloom season for this species. It gives no detailed account of its bark or leaves. The RHS flower and leaf notes cover the whole genus. They do not prove these traits apply to this species.

Useful Tropical Plants lists ways to grow it from seed or cuttings. Its seed method uses a nursery bed with a thin cover. Seeds take one to three months to sprout at 18°C. Growers move the young plants into pots when large enough to handle. They grow them on, then plant them out. The page also lists half-ripe wood cuttings under a frame. A further method uses mature wood from the current season. These cuttings have a heel, a piece of older wood.

People gather wild plants for use in folk medicine. They use roots for rheumatic pain and leaves for headaches from colds. They also use fresh roots and leaves together for swelling. These are records of past use, not proof that treatments work. The source lists no known food uses or other uses. It reports no known hazards. This does not mean the plant is safe to eat.