INTRODUCTION

The American Beautyberry, or Callicarpa Americana, is a deciduous shrub that can reach up to 6-8 feet tall. A course but beautiful looking plan, the 6-8 inch leaves are typically yellow or green in color. The American Beautyberry is very drought tolerant and easy to maintain, but prefers a partial, intermittent shade to full sun or shade.

The American Beautyberry is perfect as a landscape plant, or for use in a natural garden where it’s spring flowers will stand out.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Botanical Name: Callicarpa Americana
Pronunciation: kal-lick-AR-puh uh-mair-rick-KAY-nuh
Common Name(s): American Beautyberry
Family: Verbenaceae4
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 through 11
Planting month for zone 7: year round
Planting month for zone 8: year round
Planting month for zone 9: year round
Planting month for zone 10 and 11: year round
Origin: native to Florida
Uses: foundation; border; mass planting; container or aboveground
planter; naturalizing
Availability: somewhat available, may have to go out of the
region to find the plant

USE AND MANAGEMENT

Its ease of maintenance and popularity with birds makes American Beauty-Berry especially useful for the naturalized garden where it blends in well with pines, oaks, and darkerleaved shrubs. Appearing best when massed together, American Beauty-Berry can also be used as a screen or specimen. Allow plenty of room for this large, sprawling shrub unless regular pruning can be provided to control its size. The thinning-type pruning method works best for Beauty-Berry since regular shearing removes flowers and developing fruits.

American Beauty-Berry is relatively maintenance free and grows easily in full sun or light, dappled shade on a variety of soils. Old wood should be pruned heavily in late fall to early spring since flowers and fruit are produced on new growth. Callicarpus americana var. lactea has white berries and attractive foliage. The cultivar ‘Russell Montgomery’ has especially nice white berries.

Propagation is by seed or softwood cuttings.

 

Pests

No pests are of major concern. Caterpillars may
occasionally chew the leaves.

Diseases

No diseases are of major concern.