Shrub to about 1 m tall. Leaves variable, ovate to obovate, margins toothed, to about 16 cm long, 7 cm wide. Flower clusters dense. Flowers lilac. Fruit to about 2 mm wide, mauve.

C and W China

The branchlets and other parts are hairless in this variety, which is the most widely cultivated.

 

C. americana L., Beauty Berry (Mulberry), from the W Indies and S North America is a shrub to about 1m tall, the branchlets often purplish and densely hairy. Leaves to about 20 cm long, 12 cm wide, ovate to elliptic, hairy at least below. Flower clusters dense. Flowers white to pink, blue or red. Fruit to about 5 mm wide, pink to purplish or blue.

C. dichotoma (Lour.) K. Koch from China and Japan is a shrub to 1 m or so tall. Leaves to about 5 cm long, ovate to obovate or elliptic, hairless, with marginal teeth towards the pointed tip.

C. japonica Thunb. is also sometimes offered; it has hairless branchlets.

C. pedunculata R. Br. from Queensland, New Caledonia, New Guinea and Asia is a shrub or small tree with mostly brownish hairs, softly brown-hairy below. Leaves ovate, to 15 cm long, 6 cm wide, tip long-pointed, margin toothed. Flower clusters 2-3 cm long, rather open; spring to summer. Flowers lilac. Fruits 2-4 mm wide, white to purple.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Verbenaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.