American Beautyberry

Grow A Wildlife Haven!

It's easy to make a big difference in your community by simply making great choices about landscape material. Include the native North American wildlife plant American Beautyberry Bush (Callicarpa americana) to feed butterflies, pollinators, hungry local songbirds, and even white-tailed deer!

Don't worry! You also get to enjoy an amazing fall show with iridescent purple berry clusters lighting up the bare branches after leaf drop. Native Beautyberry is beloved for these eye-catching fruit clusters nestled right in the leaf axils, strung like beads along the arching stems in autumn and winter.

>>Jump to Planting & Care Instructions

Key Features

• Native North American deciduous shrub
• Brilliant clusters of iridescent purple berries in fall and winter
• Supports birds, butterflies, pollinators, and white-tailed deer
• Berries are edible when cooked. Perfect for jelly-making
• Pink to lavender summer flowers attract pollinators
• Grows 3-6 feet tall and wide with arching branches
• Easy-care and low-maintenance wildlife plant
• Excellent in food forests, woodland edges, and native gardens
  

Planting and Application:

In the right location, American Beautyberry grows vigorously, reaching about 3-6 feet tall and wide. Give it room to thrive, and you'll be thrilled with the results year after year! This is a fantastic choice for mass plantings to naturalize areas or cover a bare patch with something that gives back.

The berries persist long after the leaves fall, often well into winter, and are a favorite of Northern Bobwhite and other ground-feeding birds. Go ahead and snip a few branches for yourself as seasonal container decorations. These airy, arching stems make beautiful indoor arrangements for seasonal décor.

• Create a low-maintenance mass planting with Beautyberry to fill in large swaths of unused space
  
  
• Pair this with other bird-friendly native shrubs to rebuild wildlife habitat! You'll feel great about the impact
  
  
• A fun addition to tuck into food forests or edible landscapes, and shelter young plants from grazing for a few seasons
  
  
• Beautyberry berries are edible when cooked! Try your hand at homemade American Beautyberry jelly
• Grow in your Cutting Garden alongside Pussy Willow, Curly Willow, Red-Twigged Dogwood, and Miscanthus!
  
  
• Repeat along sunny woodland edges where it naturalizes beautifully, or tuck into mixed shrub borders.
  
  
• Tiny pinkish-lavender blooms appear in lacecap clusters on top of each leaf axil during summer, drawing bees and butterflies, moths, and beneficial insects. Setting the stage for even more birds!

Care and Maintenance:

Plant this adaptable native shrub in full sun or partial shade. Just be sure it receives at least four hours of direct sun each day. It prefers well-drained soil and thrives in most average conditions with basic care.

• Planting Time: Plant in spring or fall for best results. Use Nature Hills Root Booster at planting time for long-term support
• Sun & Soil Needs: Provide well-drained soil locations in full sun for best flowering and fruiting displays.
• Water Needs: Water regularly during establishment and dry spells. Especially while fruit is forming. Use the Finger Test to monitor soil moisture.
• Arborist Mulch: Top with a 3-4 inch layer of arborist mulch, keeping it away from the base of the stems
• Pruning Needs: Prune back to 12 inches every few years in early spring to keep compact and shrubby.
• Special Tips/Perks:
  • Deer-resistant (but deer love the berries!) Resistant to insects and disease
  • Cold-hardy in USDA Zones 6 to 10. In Zones 5, these shrubs can grow like perennials and die back to the ground each winter, returning anew each spring!
  • Tolerant of humidity and clay soils.
  • Low-maintenance once established

Berries, Birds & Beauty. What's Not to Love?

The American Beautyberry is a spectacular choice for gardeners who want their landscape to be both beautiful and beneficial. Whether you're aiming to feed wildlife, create stunning seasonal displays, or add an edible native to your permaculture garden, this multitasking shrub does it all. With dazzling fall color, wildlife support, and edible possibilities, it's a must-have for eco-conscious gardeners.

Buy now and Nature Hills will ship your new beautiful berry-licious beauties to your doorstep!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is American Beautyberry invasive?
No, American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a well-behaved native shrub and does not spread aggressively like invasive plants do. It stays contained and supports native ecosystems.

Are American Beautyberries safe to eat?
Yes, the berries are edible after cooking. They're most commonly used in homemade jellies and jams due to their astringent taste when raw.

Do deer eat Beautyberry?
Yes, white-tailed deer browse the foliage, especially when other food is scarce. It's not deer-proof, but it can coexist in landscapes frequented by deer.

Can I grow Beautyberry in shade?
It tolerates partial shade and still produces berries, especially in bright dappled light beneath canopy trees like Oak. However, full sun boosts flowering and berry production.

How tall does American Beautyberry grow?
Expect mature plants to reach around 3 to 6 feet tall and wide when given adequate space and care.

Does Beautyberry lose its leaves?
Yes, it is deciduous and drops its leaves in fall, revealing the brilliant purple berries that cling to bare stems through winter.

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