County Gardeners Extension Express

American Beautyberry

One of the most overlooked plants to consider adding to your landscape is the American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana. The American Beautyberry is native to the Southeastern United States and is found extensively in south Mississippi. It is a moderate-to-large-sized native perennial shrub found in forested areas, but are grown as specimen plants in the landscape.

While sometimes considered an understory plant, American beautyberry needs full sun or part shade to thrive. It is adapted to many soils and can thrive in moist and drier areas, but prefers acidic soils. The lime-green, opposite-leaved foliage provides an excellent contrast to the vibrant fruit that surrounds the stem at theleaf nodes. The late summer onset of fruit provides a wonderful fall color.

The fruit is often deep purple but available in a variety of attractive colors of white, pink, burgundy, and more. While astringent and not flavorful raw, the berries can be made into jellies, jams, and wines, tasting similar to grape jelly when processed. Plants may show up as volunteers because birds love the large clusters of berries and help to spread the seed. As a result, these are the perfect plants for someone interested in attracting wildlife to the landscape.

One of the many benefits of American Beautyberry is that it’s a very low-maintenance landscape plant, only needing light thinning, if desired, to prevent a leggy appearance and provide a more uniform shape. Sheering will remove flowers and fruit. Overgrown plants can be reset pruned, but they’re easy to propagate by cuttings and seed. Try planting many together to create an attractive native screen or hedge. Next time you’re trying to find an attractive shrub that provides many benefits, consider an American Beautyberry.

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