Five-flavor Berry Bush (schisandra chinensis)

ABOUT THIS BERRY

Five-flavor Berry Bush (schisandra chinensis) – RARE and prized for its medicinal qualities around the world, Chinese Magnolia Vine is a cold hardy woody vine native to forests of Northern China and the Russian Far East. Reddish shiny berries grow in clusters, similar to grapes, in bunches up to 4 inches long and typically ripen in the fall. Fruit has a sweet sour flavor that is hard to describe, can be eaten raw or cooked and carries a high sugar content.
Our plants allow you to enjoy fruit in the first year or so. All the berry plants we offer are healthy, vigorous, well rooted and grown right here in our nursery. Truly a better berry!
The growth rate and yield of Five-flavor Berry will vary greatly depending on soil type, sunlight, temperature and other factors. A few leaves are often trimmed prior to shipping to reduce transpiration and travel stress.

QUICK SPECS

BERRY CARE

Berries are easy to grow, often producing hundreds of fruit per year. These berries will grow happily, flower and fruit in a pot or in-ground. They add a tasty accent to any outdoor space, garden or patio. In cooler zones a containerized berry plant can be relocated indoors for the winter months.
When you receive your new berry plant, there is no need to worry about planting right away. Your new plant can be stored for a while by simply placing it in a bucket with about a half inch of water and moving it to a shady location, simply keep moist. This will give you plenty of time to select the ideal location for your new berry.

CONTAINER SIZE

All berry varieties grow very well in containers, indoors or on the patio. Smaller varieties grow best indoors in 10″ to 14″ diameter pots while larger varieties need enough room for growth, generally a 14″ to a 24″ diameter, 14″ deep container will suffice. Remember the looser the roots, the taller and healthier your berry will be. When the plant becomes root bound its growth will slow, at that point it is time for a larger pot.

SOIL

Five-flavor Berry enjoy a well drained, general potting mix easily found at your local box store. Remember try to stay away from arid or wet, mucky soils.

FERTILIZER

To help establish your new Five-flavor Berry, fertilize sparingly ten inches away from the base, tri-annually with a slow time released product. Unfertilized they will tend to grow at a slower pace. Note: The heavy salts in cheaper fertilizers will damage the roots and possibly kill the plant. Its best to use a brand you know and trust.

GROW ZONE & LIGHT

Best outdoors if grown in zone 4b-9b, find your zone here. This berry requires 80-100% sunlight. Depending on your location full sun is often best. In the northern end of their grow zone Five-flavor Berry should be brought indoors or protected during the winter months. The patio zone is 4a-11 which means the potted plant will flourish over the summer months in colder zones but must be brought inside before winter.

BEFORE YOU PLANT OUTDOORS

At the nursery these berries are grown under 20-40% shade cloth. If you plant this berry in a brightly lit area you may experience leaf burn. It is best to acclimate this plant to its environment by keeping it outside and slowly moving it into a sunny area over a week or two to avoid stress before planting.

WHAT IS THE SHIPPING SIZE

All Five-flavor Berry for sale will vary in size. In the spring, plants are often smaller than plants shipped in the fall. Plants designated with a sku ending in -4, -6 or -8 will arrive in a standard 4 inch, 6 inch or 8 inch round growers pot respectively. Our new, reusable, recyclable deep plugs are 7 or 9 inches deep and 2 or 2.5 inches in width. Products growing in these pots are easy to transplant and allow for deeper roots and faster growth, they are designated with a sku ending in -7 or -9. (Note: The item sku number can be found just below the buy button.) The color and style of these pots may vary. If we are out of a particular size item, we may ship a larger size at no additional charge. For more information, click the “best packaging” link at the bottom of this page.