Aristotelia chilensis Variegata - Variegated Maqui

The Aristotelia chilensis 'Variegata', better known as the Variegated Maqui or the Variegated Chilean Grape, is a small tree with evergreen foliage marginated with cream, which is particularly decorative in all seasons. The fruiting is interesting, delicious and vitamin-rich, occurring in late summer on female plants only. This less hardy shrub (-9°C (15.8 °F)) is best suited to mild climates or cold greenhouses where winters are less forgiving.

The Aristotelia chilensis variegata belongs to the Elaeocarpaceae family. It is a cultivar derived from the Aristotelia chilensis native to South America, specifically Argentina and Chile, in the Andean Cordillera region. It is a small tree, reaching no more than 3 m (9 ft 10 in) in all directions, with a naturally bushy habit and arching branches.
This plant is dioecious, meaning there are male and female plants. The variegated Chilean Grape has evergreen foliage. The lanceolate leaves, 3 to 7 cm (1.2 to 2.8 in) long, are a beautiful vivid green marginated with yellow-cream and are carried by red petioles. Flowering occurs in June, in the form of short panicles of yellow-white flowers resembling small bells measuring 3 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) long. It is followed in late summer by the formation of black-violet drupes of berries about 6 mm (0.2 in) in diameter, which ripen in August-September. These deliciously acidic edible fruits have a taste somewhat reminiscent of grapes. They have recently received much attention due to their high nutritional value.

Moderately hardy (around -9°C (15.8 °F)), the Variegated Maqui should preferably be grown in pots in cold regions so that it can be brought indoors to a veranda or cold greenhouse during winter. It prefers rich, humus-rich, well-drained, moist soil with no excessive limestone content, in a sunny or semi-shaded exposure. You will need to plant several plants to hope for a fruit harvest. If the plant is damaged by a harsh winter, it may produce new shoots from the stump, similar to what Eucalyptus Gunii can do, for example.

The Variegated Maqui will find its place in a rural hedge, shrub beds, or even as a solitary plant in mild climates. It will also thrive in a large container as long as the substrate does not become too alkaline due to watering with hard water.

This plant has been used and studied for medicinal purposes. The literature mentions for example its use in poultices, as well as its febrifugal and astringent properties.