bush
Looking for a perennial shrub that is low care , pollinator - friendly , wildlife - friendly , and interesting ? As a new gardener or even seasoned landscaper , include shapely , fast - growing , prolific flora is a must , and the American beautyberry is one plant that can hold its own in the landscape . Interested in this look across landscape painting industrial plant ? Let horticulture and peak expert Taylor Sievers share the benefit and upkeep tip for the unique and beautiful American beautyberry .
Contents
A fast - growing , attractive , and wildlife - well-disposed shrub ? You may have never try of the American beautyberry ( Callicarpa americana ) , but it checks all the boxes . It can grow 4 to 7 feet ( and sometimes 10 foot ! ) injust one time of year !
This U.S. aboriginal shrub of the mint house , Lamiaceae , is fast - growing , drouth tolerant , and produces beautiful purple to violet Charles Edward Berry each fall . Let ’s dive into the world of the beautyberry to learn more !
About American Beautyberry
American beautyberry is a moderately sized woody perennial shrub native to the cardinal and southeastern United States , Bermuda , and Cuba . It has also been known to grow in northerly Mexico .
Other epithet include American mulberry tree , French mulberry tree , sour - bush , bunchberry , and purple smasher - berry . It sports an opposite leaf arrangement with leave of sawing machine - toothed margins . The flowers form in clusters thatdistinctly circle the stem . Lilac flowers are present from May to June . Purple , downhearted , or white berry acquire from August to October .
The genus name , Callicarpa , is derive from the Greek “ callos , ” which means “ beauty , ” and “ carpos , ” which means “ fruit . ” There are about seven species in the genus , but only the American beautyberry ( Callicarpa americana ) is aboriginal to the U.S.
When crushed , the leaves of beautyberry are said torepel mosquitoesand other insects due to the front of callicarpenol and intermedeol . other twentieth century Farmer were read to crush beautyberry leave of absence and rub them under the harness and on the bodies of employment sawhorse and mules to forbid attacks from bite bugs . People also used the leaves on their bodies for the same intent .
Today , American beautyberries are planted in the landscape painting in hedgerows , native plantings , andpollinator gardens .
Why You Should Plant American Beautyberry
American beautyberries are easy to care for . They blossom and set fruit onnew growtheach year , so pruning is a walkover in the natural spring . Just prune the old branches down to 12 column inch magniloquent or less , and you ’ll have beautiful bright purple Chuck Berry by Fall on long arching branches that can reach 4 to 7 feet improbable in one time of year .
Propagation
American beautyberries can be propagated via seed or deal cutting .
Propagating From Seed
Each berry contains at least 2 to 3 seeds that are 1/16 inch long . To circulate by seed , institute the whole Chuck Berry after smash it between your finger to expose the seeds , orprocess the berriesto branch the seeds from the fruit .
Chuck Berry can be place in a blender with water . After mixing , let the liquid to sit . Viable seeds will dip to the bottom , and everything else can be skimmed off the top and blended again . Do this until the seeds are adequately tell apart . enfeeble the seeds and allow them to dry before hive away .
constitute the seeds straightaway into the soil in late fall or sow them in pots filled with moist peat and vermiculite - base mix . Once the seed germinates and the seedling has an adequately - sized , healthy root system , you’re able to transplant it after frost .
Propagating From Cuttings
deal press clipping can be taken either in the saltation or downslope . Choose a healthy branch of young growth at least 4 to 6 inches long .
Strip the humble leave and dip the bottom of the stem in a root endocrine to avail speed up the rooting of the cutting . Place the press cutting in a inclined pot filled with a moist peat - and - perlite - based mixture . Poke a hole in the potting mix , place the cutting in the hole , and then gently firm the pot admixture around the cut .
Keep the cuttings moist by placing them under a humidity attic until young emergence appear . It will commonly take cutting about3 to 4 weeks to take root .
How to Plant
you could typically purchase this plant life at nurseries as a small bush . works beautyberries at least 5 to 6 human foot aside to ensure adequate spacing between plants .
constitute the shrub so the top of the locoweed is even with the grunge line . Beautyberries can thrive in almost any type of soil as long as it is well - draining , so there isno need to amend the dirt unless you are found in a typically waterlogged site .
Seeds can be inseminate in the fall or former spring . Most of the time , stratification ( a insensate catamenia ) is not needed .
How to Grow
Once ground , this shrub is easy to originate and care for , with circumscribed disease and cuss problem and new ontogenesis every year .
Sunlight
This gorgeous bush requires full sun to part sun locations . It will need at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sun per mean solar day . In warmer clime , this bush may profit from a slight flake of shade to forbid scorching by the sun .
Do not plant it in full shade because it will not thrive . Beautyberries may sometimes grow in the shade but will not blossom and yield as they should .
Water
This is a fairlydrought - tolerant aboriginal shrubwith restrained rainfall motivation . It will also naturalize along stream and ponds if the arena is well - draining .
Soil
This native beautyberrytolerates almost any soil as long as it is well - draining . It can also tolerate a wide kitchen range of soil pH levels ( pH range of 4.8 to 7.0 ) .
Climate & Temperature
This genus prefer warmer growing zone . The shrubs are wintertime hardy in USDA zones 7 to 11 . In some cases , they can survive inUSDA zone 6 .
The Japanese and Formosan species of beautyberry ( C. japonica , C. dichotoma , C. bodinieri ) are said to be more cold tolerant , with a robustness up to zone 5 .
disregarding , the foliage does not tolerate frosts well , so this bush is unremarkably later to riff out in the spring . Some old branches and cane may survive over the wintertime but do not expect all to retrieve . That is why beautyberries are typically hard - prune in the late winter and other spring .
Fertilization
avert fertilizingbecause too many nutrients will sometimes forestall flowering and fruit solidification . This native plant is tolerant of poor soil , which makes this shrub comparatively low maintenance .
Pruning
Pruning is important to rejuvenate the plant and to promote a shapely look .
The beautyberry shrub blooms on new Sir Henry Wood ( fundamentally , unexampled growth ) , so pruning nearly to the earth in the spring will not prevent flowering and fruit hardening . In fact , heavy - pruningthis shrub down to 6 to 12 inch in previous winter is recommended !
Some old canes will tug out leaves if they are not cut , but this often leaves the bush with a scraggly , unkempt appearing .
Pests & Diseases
There are a few blighter and diseases that will affect this bush . In some cases , folio bit or black modeling may be a trouble .
push good air circulation by planting with adequate spatial arrangement between shrubs will facilitate foreclose disease outlet . Also , watering at the base of the industrial plant or in the mornings will reduce foliage wetness , thus extenuate disease .
Uses or Common Planting Locations
American beautyberries are best used in hedgerow planting , native planting , and pollinator orbutterfly gardens . The Berry will often stay on the plant for a while , making it a slap-up industrial plant for a winter garden .
Beautyberries may also be used in cut heyday arrangement when the berries shape to render color and interest .
If you ’re concerned in a shrub that providesfood for wildlife , then American beautyberry may be for you . The berry are feed by over 40 different songster , including the American Robin , Brown Thrasher , Purple Finch , and Eastern Towhee . Armadillos , Fox , opossum , raccoons , and squirrel will also eat the berries . cervid will pasture the berries after the leaves drop . cows have been known to eat the twigs .
Not only are beautyberries eatable for wildlife , but the mature Chuck Berry are also used by human race to makejellies , juices , and teas .
Other Species & Varieties of Beautyberry
WhileC. americanais the aboriginal American beautyberry , a few other metal money or hybrid of Callicarpa are worth noting .
Callicarpa americanavar.lacteais a edition of beautyberry with white berry instead of empurpled or purplish Berry .
Commercially , a few Callicarpa hybrids are available in late years , like ‘ Purple Pearls ’ and ‘ Pearl Glam . ’ What ’s distinct about these cultivars is that they havebeautiful purple foliage .
Also commercially available is ‘ former Amethyst , ’ which is not anAmericanvariety ( C. americana ) but rather of the speciesCallicarpa dichotoma . ‘Duet ’ is another kind ofC. dichotomathat has variegate foliage .
C. dichotoma , C. japonica , andC. bodineriare all species of beautyberry that are native to Asia . Still , they are very standardized in growth habit to the American species and seem to be more widely useable in commerce .
‘ Luxurians ’ is a variety of Nipponese beautyberry ( C. japonica ) that produces larger cluster of fruit . ‘ Leucocarpa ’ is a white - fruited Japanese variety .
Frequently Asked Questions
No , American beautyberry isnot toxicto pet . Many wild animals , like deer , squirrels , and birds , like to use up the berries . They can be an authoritative food source for wildlife .
American beautyberry is often promoted as an understory industrial plant because it can tolerate shade . However , full wraith situations will often reduce the amount of flowers and leafage the plant produce . Opt for land site in full Lord’s Day to part shade if you may . In warm climates with vivid sunlight , it may be smart to found in part shadowiness so the plant does not get blacken .
The crushed leaves of American beautyberry have been fray on the body of both humans and farm animal animals over chronicle to revolt mosquitoes and other insects . This is due to the presence of a few unlike compounds like callicarpenol and intermedeol . Be cautious when applying , as some humans have reported contact dermatitis .
Yes , the American beautyberry will turn a loss its foliage in the winter . In fact , the leaves are peculiarly raw to frost , which is why this shrub is sometimes the last to promote out Modern leave-taking in the spring . However , this bush provide winter interest because of its brilliant purpleness to violet berries that persist well into the crepuscule and wintertime .
Final Thoughts
If you ’re looking for a U.S. aboriginal shrub that is easy to care for , pollinator and wildlife friendly , and attractive , this is the plant life for you ! In my persuasion , this bush is often overlooked in the landscape painting .
The branches proliferate rapidly into beautiful arching spray . The attractive purpleness ( or , in some cases , white ) berries persist well into the winter . I am always take care for attractive shrubs to add along my fence line that will grow rapidly . These shrubs are so low maintenance and suited for many stain and sunlight place . add them to the garden is a no - brainer !
