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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Washington, D.C. » National Arboretum » Floral and Nursery Plants Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #218018
Title: 'Duet' beautyberry

Author
item Reed, Sandra
item DAVIS, W. EDGAR - FORMER USDA EMPLOYEE
item BACHMAN, GARY - ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/2/2008
Publication Date: 6/15/2008
Citation: Reed, S.M., Bachman, G.R. and Davis, W.E. 2008. ‘Duet’ beautyberry. HortScience 43:933-934.

Interpretive Summary: A new beautyberry cultivar, ‘Duet’, was released by the U.S. National Arboretum and Tennessee Technological University in 2006. ‘Duet’ originated as a variegated sport on Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Albifructus’. Foliage is medium-green with yellow margins. Clusters of small white fruit ripen in September and remain on the plant for 1 to 2 weeks after leaf drop. ‘Duet’ is a deciduous, rounded multi-stemmed shrub that reached 6 feet high and 6.5 feet wide in 5 years of growth in McMinnville, Tenn. It is well suited for use as a single specimen plant, in a mixed shrub border, as a deciduous hedge, or mass planting in large areas. It is recommended for USDA Zones 5-8. ‘Duet’ was tested by cooperators throughout the U.S. and is currently being propagated by growers for expected retail availability in 2008.

Technical Abstract: A variegated sport of Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Albifructus’ was found in 2000 by researchers at Tennessee Technological University. The sport was subsequently transferred to the U.S. National Arboretum worksite in McMinnville, Tennessee for evaluation. Based on results from evaluations conducted in 22 states, ‘Duet’ was jointly released by the U.S. National Arboretum and Tennessee Technological University in 2006. Foliage is medium-green with yellow margins. While an occasional green shoot has been observed, the variegation has been very stable. Clusters of small white fruit ripen in September and remain on the plant for 1 to 2 weeks after leaf drop. ‘Duet’ is a deciduous, rounded multi-stemmed shrub that reached 2 m high and 2 m wide in 5 years of growth in McMinnville, Tenn. Like other Callicarpa, ‘Duet’ is free of major disease and insect problems.