Callicarpa macrophylla aka Urn Fruit Beauty Berry

Callicarpa macrophylla is an evergreen shrub or small tree. It belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae. It grows to about 8 feet (2.5 metres) tall. Kew places its native range across tropical and subtropical Asia to Queensland. Other records list southern China, India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. They also include Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. People grow it in gardens for its fruit display.

Wild plants grow in ravines and places with swampy ground. They also grow beside roads and on disturbed land. In China, they occur in mixed forests. These forest records span 328–6,562 feet (100–2,000 metres) above sea level. The species keeps its leaves through the year. Its small fruits are white, with a soft, spongy texture. Fully ripe fruit has a sweet taste and juicy flesh. People eat the ripe fruit raw and gather it from wild plants.

Give this shrub sun or light shade beneath an open canopy. It prefers rich loam that drains well. Its range spans warm temperate parts of southern China and the tropics. Plants For A Future lists USDA hardiness zones 8–11. That source also places it in woodland gardens with dappled shade. Insects pollinate the flowers. Cross-pollination helps the plant set a good crop of fruit. Growing it for fruit therefore calls for more than one plant.

People also gather this species for local folk medicine. They boil the leaves for diarrhoea, dysentery, and bleeding within the gut. They apply warmed leaves to sore joints affected by rheumatism. Recorded root uses include tongue rashes, fever, and indigestion. The roots also yield an aromatic oil. People pound the inner bark for use as a poultice. These records describe traditional uses, not proof that treatments work. The wood is soft, and people burn it as fuel.

Growers can raise plants from seed or stem cuttings. Cover seed with only a thin layer of growing medium. At 18°C, germination takes about one to three months. Move seedlings into separate pots once they can withstand handling. Cuttings may use half-ripe shoots or mature wood with a heel. Plants For A Future does not flag the species as weedy. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known hazards. This does not establish safety for every use or for pets.