Leycesteria formosa - Purple Rain - Pheasant Berry Himalayan Honeysuckle

Another name for this is false nutmeg. I learnt from German friends that they add the very ripe fruit into fruit salads etc to give a warm spicy tang. Needs to be very soft and ripe though otherwise very bitter: I tried!I have 2 of these, which also looks very attractive mixed into wild flower arrangements.

These shrubs/bushes appeared by themselves this year and have sprouted in a rough piece of grouns and in between paving slabs. They are still in flower and have also berries on some of them. Did not know what they were until I read this article. Absolutely beautiful.

Marvellous plant for any condition. I've had them for many years in my garden in the South west of Scotland. The flowers attract the bees, the berries attract and the birds and the foliage changes colour throughout the year. My Sister-in-Law in Luton thought she had killed it by pruning too hard but given time it has reappeared.

I have yet to obtain this wonderful plant from Gardening Express, as not available currently, but to help those considering it, here's my experience etc.: stands of this shrub often used to be planted in the grounds of pheasant shoots - birds love the berries - in my garden, blackbirds especially. Very easy to grow, needing negligible care, but as with most plants, benefitting from occasional tlc, or a little 'tidying' - but remember, it's essentially a woodland plant. It's a tall (I grew several, in sun and in shade - mine were upto about 7') plume/arching- shaped shrub, pretty-well evergreen and happy in my Dorset garden, which tended to be quite dry. (Gave a good, drenching watering occasionally in dry summer.) The leaves are about 3" long, light-weight, and waft attractively in light breeze. The stunning racemes of bracts always remind me of dangling Chinese pagodas, with plenty of dark crimson shiny berries - be careful not to let them drop onto your clothes - very squishy any might stain... The plentiful, hollow stems (bright green) allow you to trim the plant to preferred shape, and are great for indoor flower arrangements. I would simply cut back to just above the next bud. In spring, you might see the odd older/dead? brownish stem - just cut them off. I have usually grown the species, but now also tried the lighter/brighter green variety - possibly 'Golden Lantern'?, which has been attractively in leaf all winter, although the 'flowers' - bracts, were a touch feeble - pale and short, compared with those of the species. A gorgeous, stately plant, with the bonus that you might attract the odd pheasant into your garden! Highly recommended!

I have one of these on the fence between us and our neighbour. last year was the first time I had seen it the roots are each side of the fence not sure who it belongs to.
The bees love it. the flower is so long it is beautiful. i don't know how far to prune it down when it finishes flowering and drops its flowers.