Callicarpa americana, also known as beautyberry, American beautyberry, or French mulberry, is a deciduous shrub native to the southeastern United States, northern Mexico, Bermuda, Cuba, the Bahamas, and other islands in the West Indies. It typically grows in forest edges, moist slopes, bluff tops, woodland openings, swamp margins, and fence rows.
When fully grown, the plant reaches a height of around 3-5 feet tall and has an open growth habit with arching branches. Its foliage is ovate to elliptic with serrated margins, ranging from 2-9 inches long to 0.75-5 inches wide, and is arranged oppositely.
The plant produces small, light pink to purple or blue-tinged flowers in dense, axillary clusters, which develop into bright, violet to magenta (rarely white) fruits. These fruits are showy, persistent, and ripen around mid-fall, serving as a food source for birds, squirrels, and other wildlife.
The beautyberry plant requires evenly moist, well-draining, sandy, or clayey soils with plenty of organic matter for optimal growth. If drainage is adequate, it can grow in nearly any soil type. While the plant can tolerate some drought once established, prolonged hot summer drought may lead to defoliation and poor fruiting performance. The best fruiting occurs in full sun, but the plant tolerates light shade. It is hardy in Zones 6-12.
In harsh winters or if planted in an exposed site, the plant may experience dieback in the colder end of its hardiness range, but it will resprout readily from the base, and fruiting should not be affected. Pruning in winter encourages more bushy, compact growth. Plants can be cut back as far as 1 foot from the base or around 2 feet less than the desired size. Deadwood should be removed in spring. The plant can be propagated from cuttings or seed.
