Chirimen Japanese Ardisia or Coralberry. Chirimen is a dwarf form of the species with small green leaves which are one third the size of the species and correspondingly smaller red berries as well. It has 1/3" pink flowers in late spring. J. C. Raulston introduced me to this selection about 30 years ago where it was performing well in Raleigh, NC at the now named J.C. Raulston Arboretum in zone 7b. When one needs a groundcover for the shade that is only 3-6" high, this is the plant. It will make a thick impenetrable mat. If you are an area where its leaves might be burnt during the winter, just run a rotary lawn mower over it in late winter and it will quickly recover. It also makes an excellent pot plant when one has a tiny pot. In the last slide, 'Chirimen' is the second pot from left to right.
Zones 7b-10
