Leycesteria formosa is a robust and easily grown shrub native to China and Tibet, which attracts a wealth of wildlife. It’s an extremely handsome shrub with a long season of interest, bearing shapely leaves, trailing white and claret flowers from mid- to late summer, followed by reddish purple berries in autumn. The flowers are a magnet for bees and the berries attract many species of bird, including blackbird and pheasant.
Invasive in Australia, New Zealand, and the neighboring islands of Micronesia.