#16 Callicarpa americana Common Names: American beautyberry, beautyberry, French mulberry Family: Verbenaceae (verbena or vervain Family) Get link to this Profile or click for Datasheet Wallpaper Gallery (4 images)

The distinctively beautiful beautyberries persist on the shrub for months providing food for wildlife and looking pretty for people. Click to download a large (800x600) version of this image.

Location
American beautyberry occurs naturally from Maryland, south to Florida, and southwesterly into Tennessee, Arkansas, and Texas. It also grows in Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas and Cuba. It inhabits relatively open, well drained, rich woodlands and dry hammocks.

Culture
Very adaptable, even to low fertility soils.
Light: Broken shade is optimal.
Moisture: Very drought tolerant. Requires well drained soil.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 6-10.
Propagation: Seeds and semi-hardwood cuttings. This shrub often volunteers within its range, sometimes with such vigor as to be regarded as a weed species.

The beautyberry's beautiful little lilac flowers appear in late spring and early summer. Click to download a large (800x600) version of this image.

Features
The colorful berries last long into winter and are eaten by a variety of birds. They don't seem to be the most delicious foodsource around though, at my place in North Florida they tend not to be eaten until late winter when they are all shriveled into beautyberry raisins.!

In its native range the American beautyberry reseeds and spreads so readily that it is considered a pesky weed by some. Each year I eradicate most of the hundreds of seedlings that appear but always allow a few to take hold to enjoy the stunning autumn colors or purple, green and gold. Click to download a large (800x600) version of this image.

Jack Scheper 04/21/97 updated: js 10/01/99; sc 12/04/99, js 06/12/03, 2/18/05

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