![]() They are native to Asia and may be somewhat more cold-tolerant than the native beautyberry. There are three related but nonnative species cultivated as ornamentals: Callicarpa dichotoma (purple beautyberry or early amethyst), Callicarpa bodinieri (Bodinier beautyberry), and Callicarpa japonica (Japanese beautyberry) are similar in appearance to American beautyberry.The bark on old trunk stems is smooth, tight, or somewhat roughened with small, thin scales below. Twigs are circular to 4-sided in cross-section, slender, gray to reddish brown, with dense, star-shaped hairs, becoming smooth later. Leaves are simple, opposite, and aromatic the blades are oval, broadest at or above the middle, tip pointed, base wedge-shaped, the margin coarsely toothed near the ends 3–9 inches long, 1½–5 inches wide, dark green and smooth or powdery above, paler with dense, star-shaped hairs beneath leaf stalk slender, ¾–2 inches long, with dense, star-shaped hairs.įlowers June–August, numerous, borne in the leaf stem axils, rose to pink or pale blue (rarely white), small tubular, 4-lobed stamens 4, protruding.įruits August–November, berrylike, borne in conspicuous round, compact clusters in leaf axils, rose to purple or violet to blue, globe-shaped, fleshy, ⅛–¼ inch long, sweet seeds 4, about 1/16 inch long, light brown. A critically imperiled species in Missouri, it is also a popular native shrub for landscaping. So long as you don’t mind sharing with the birds, the Callicarpa species work in tandem with the rest of your landscape to bring fabulous fall color to the garden.American beautyberry is a many-branched shrub that bears attractive rounded clusters of rose, purple, violet, or blue berrylike fruits along the stems, in the axils of the leaves, in late summer and fall. Other selections include Bonner Creek and Purple Pearls, a weeping purple berry and even a variety with striking pink berries.Ĭheck local garden center for availability or collect seed this time of year from a friend to incorporate into your gardening area. Another cultivar,duet, has variegated foliage in combination with attractive white berries. A cultivar called Bok Tower is a green-foliage shrub with white berries. More than 40 song birds can be found feeding on beautyberry, including catbirds, cardinals and mockingbirds.Ĭallicarpa includes many cultivars and other species, but they are often difficult to find in garden centers. Because our fall dry period occurs the same time the plant has berries, birds will use beautyberry as a water source. The beautiful purple berries don’t persist on the plant for an extended period time as they play a very important role for birds in the autumn. The following spring, the beautyberry will put on new growth and will bloom from those stems. This means if the shrub grows too tall for your landscape, you can prune back severely in late winter, even to the ground if you need. ![]() One notable characteristic of this shrub is that is blooms on the current year’s wood. The beautyberry can grow rather large quickly, easily reaching 10 feet. Though this tough shrub requires very little soil prep, it is still always good practice to have your soil tested before planting. This may come a relief to some gardeners: soil prep and amending typically will not be necessary to grow a desirable shrub. This shrub can grow in poor soil conditions such as thick clay to sandy or rocky soils, as well as highly acid areas and thin, infertile soils. Therefore, when gardeners incorporate beautyberry into the landscape, choosing an area that receives part sun to part shade will the ideal location. This highly attractive shrub can be found growing naturally at a woodland’s edge. ![]() Once the flowers are pollinated and berries form, this native shrub certainly becomes the belle of the ball. As beautiful as the berries are, the flowers of this shrub offer no significant landscape value. The beautyberry blooms throughout the summer with clusters of pink to purplish flowers. First the flowers, then berries occur in the axils, the area located where the leaf stalk connects to the branch. This native shrub puts off an incredible show of purple clustered berries in late August through in the end of November. One native that stands out among all others this time of year in the American beautyberry or Callicarpa americana. These are the plants that let you know you are in the South. But most importantly, native plants give a sense of place. They are adapted to our climate, and they are equipped to handle our severe fluctuations in rain fall. Native plants are great for attracting wildlife. In recent years, the idea of planting native plants has swept through the gardening world.
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