Thanks Leon!

Leon Fisk wrote:

Hi Neil,

I may have found it. Sapphire Berry or Asiatic Sweetleaf
(symplocos paniculata). See the following links and see what
you think.

http://www.keystonetree.com/saphire.jpg

http://www.esveld.nl/htmldiaen/s/sypani.htm

http://ridgwaydb.mobot.org/kemperweb....asp?code=T710

http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/s/sympan/sympan1.html


Well, we're all in agreement that this is the one. The Latin name
seems vaguely familiar, so maybe I did stumble on an ID years ago.
[but the common names don't-- so maybe I didn't.]

I looked in Wyman's Encyclopedia & they mention that it has fragrant
white flowers for a short time in the spring-- and that it loses the
berries rather quickly once they are ripe. But they also say that the
berries are "of a color not seen in the fruit of any other hardy woody
plant." So they make up in uniqueness what they lack in longevity.

For those who have asked for seeds,Wyman's says they can be
propagated, but that the seeds germinate erratically. They recommend
stratifying the seeds at 40degees F for 3 months before sowing.

They also say softwood cuttings will root.
-snip-

I second Neil's Thanks-
Jim