The time has come to gather up the ripened dark-blue berries of “Kusagi” (Harlequin glorybower) for this year.
I used to see the shrubs grow here and there in Kamakura where I used to live, but perhaps the high elevation around here may not be suitable for the plant. I finally managed to find just one place last year where it grew here at Mt. Yatsugatake.
It blooms white flowers in summer and bears berries in autumn that will turn the color from blue-green to sky blue.
Waited until the berries were ripe and once they turned to dark blue, I used pole-type pruning shears to get some sprays, within the reaching distance, from 4-5 shrubs that grew gregariously down the cliff slope.
I am happy that I managed to gather up “berries for this year” even though it is just a little.
After gathering up, the berries are picked out of star-shaped calyxes.
For that, I decided to ask my little assistance for help.
She was so absorbed in and her fingertips were dyed blue already.