Pourthiaea beauverdiana, known commonly as the Christmas berry, is a species of deciduous shrub or tree[2] It is native to central and southern China, Taiwan, northern Vietnam, and Bhutan in the eastern Himalaya.[1]
The species was first described as Photinia beauverdiana by Camillo Karl Schneider in 1906.[3] The species epithet honors Swiss botanist Gustave Beauverd (1867-1942).[2] In 1933 Sumihiko Hatusima placed the species in genus Pourthiaea as Pourthiaea beauverdiana.[1]
Description
P. beauverdiana has a height range from 6.1 to 9.1m (20 to 30ft) and is known for its remarkable red-orange colors and showy red berries.[2] It blooms from April to May and can tolerate temperatures down to −23°C (−9°F).[3] They have leaves that are serrate, elliptical, to ovate and tips that are acute to caudate.[2] They produce tiny, cup-shaped, orbicular white flowers with red fruits that produce up to four seeds.[2]
Habitat
The Christmas berry lives mountainside or woodland areas and thrives under full sun to partial shade.[2] The shadier it gets for this plant, the more susceptible it is to leaf spot disease (Entomosporium maculatum) and will have less flowering.[2] They grow best under medium moisture and can be resistant to droughts, deer, and rabbit.[2]
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