American Beautyberry
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Callicarpa americana
Callicarpa americana, fondly known as beautyberry, American beautyberry, or French mulberry, is a charming deciduous shrub that calls the southeastern United States, northern Mexico, Bermuda, Cuba, the Bahamas, and other lovely islands in the West Indies it's home. Typically, you can find it thriving along forest edges, moist slopes, bluff tops, woodland openings, swamp margins, and fence rows.
Once it reaches its full height, this delightful plant stands around 3-5 feet tall with gracefully arching branches. Its leaves are ovate to elliptic with nicely serrated edges, measuring between 2-9 inches long and 0.75-5 inches wide, and are arranged oppositely, creating a lovely visual display.
In spring and summer, the beautyberry showcases small, light pink to purple or blue-tinged flowers in dense, axillary clusters that beautifully transform into vibrant violet to magenta fruits (and occasionally white) by mid-fall. These eye-catching fruits not only add color to the garden but also provide tasty snacks for birds, squirrels, and other wildlife.
To flourish, the beautyberry loves evenly moist, well-draining sandy or clay soils enriched with plenty of organic matter. As long as the drainage is good, it can adapt well to nearly any soil type. While it can handle a bit of drought once it settles in, it’s best to keep an eye on prolonged hot summer droughts, as they might cause some leaves to drop and affect fruit production. You’ll find the best fruiting when planted in sunny spots.
In harsher winters or if situated in an exposed location, this resilient plant might experience dieback at the colder end of its hardiness range, but don’t worry! It will bounce back readily from the base, and fruiting shouldn’t be affected. Pruning during winter encourages a bushier, more compact shape, and you can safely cut back the plant to about 1 foot from the base or around 2 feet shorter than your desired height. Just remember to remove any deadwood in spring. Propagation is easy too, whether you choose to use cuttings or seed.
Height: 3’-6'
Spread: 3’-6'
Bloom: June-August
Light: Part Shade, Dappled Shade
Water: Medium
Zone: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Origin: Texas, Southeastern U. S.
Spring Shipping:
Orders are shipped within 7-10 business days. We will email you if there are expected delays.
When you order plants from our nursery, you can expect them to arrive in the best possible condition. Our team carefully packs each order using sturdy, biodegradable packaging materials.
Your plants' appearance may vary depending on the season and their current growth stage. We may cut back the leafy growth of some plants to prepare them for shipment and transplanting.
5 Gallon and Up: Any plant purchased to ship over 5 Gallons will be shipped bare root. This means we will remove the plant from its original pot, remove the soil surrounding the roots, and wrap the roots with a biodegradable plastic bag. This reduces weight and the likelihood of damage during shipping.
Once your plants arrive, it is essential to plant them as soon as possible. This will help them rebound and thrive. If you cannot plant immediately, water regularly and keep the roots off heat-conducting surfaces.
Newly transplanted plants often require more water until their roots are well established. Plan to water them 1-3 times weekly for the first few months.
