Ardisia crenata

Christmas berry is an upright perennial shrub that grows tall. It maintains a densely tufted growth pattern and is often multi-trunked. Christmas berry prefers moist soil and germination can occur from pH 4 to pH 10. It does well in temperatures of 25 °C and above. Flowers are white or pink with yellow anthers and grow in axillary clusters and are very often covered in multiple black spots. Plants begin to bear fruit two years after sprouting. The berry clusters often droop below the glossy foliage. While there are indications the plant may be poisonous to livestock, pets and humans, due to cattle deaths in Florida, there is no scientific confirmation of this. ==Invasiveness==

Christmas berry is an invasive species in the southeastern United States, escaping captivity in wooded areas of Florida in 1982. Christmas berry is viewed as an environmental weed in Australia, particularly in its rainforests. It has become naturalized in northeastern New South Wales. It has also been naturalized on two islands of Hawaii. ==Ecological effect==

The dense foliage of Christmas berry shades out native seedlings of the understory by decreasing the amount of light reaching the forest floor by as much as 70%. When the mature plants from these stands are removed, juvenile seedlings will take over the space they leave behind. The diversity of native plant species in the presence of this invasive is greatly diminished through lowered germination rates in the face of the thick cover of Christmas berry. ==Control==

Biological There has not been a biological control designated for Christmas berry. A basal bark application of 18% v/v solution of Remedy or Garlon 4 is an effective suppressant. Cultural Thriving ground cover prior to invasion will help slow down seedling colonization. Mechanical Mechanical control of Christmas berry is a challenge. Useful methods include hand-pulling in the case of small-scale invasions. This is not a very efficient method due to the difficulty of eliminating all the surrounding berries littering the ground that will soon replace the removed material. Another option is discing, which tills the soil up in hopes of destroying the rhizomes. This must be carefully administered to prevent harm to the surrounding local flora and ensure that the rhizomes are subdued. Cutting as well as burning prove to be ineffective due to the strongly rhizomatous nature of the plant. If a mechanical method is used to control the plant, the site must be regularly monitored for at least a year in order to ensure elimination of Christmas berry. ==Medical uses==

The leaves of Ardisia crenata are being investigated as a remedy to stop asthmatic contractions and spasms. The plant contains a medicinal substance known as FR900359 that could treat several diseases, including asthma, hypertension, and uveal melanoma. == In Japanese culture ==

The plant is called Manryō (万両) in Japanese. Because of the red berries and the wordplay of its name it is used during Japanese New Year for chabana decoration, normally along with winter jasmine. Other plants used instead because of their similarity are Sarcandra glabra and Ardisia japonica. ==Gallery==

File:Ardisia crenata seeds 353448854.jpg| File:Ardisia crenata, Krantzkloof NR.jpg| File:Ardisia crenata 281882232.jpg| File:Ardisia crenata - Bloedel Floral Conservatory, Queen Elizabeth Park - Vancouver, Canada - DSC07515.JPG| File:Ardisia crenata1.jpg| File:ArdisiaCrenata6.jpg| ==References==