Plant of the Month: Beautyberry

Submitted by the Bath Gamma Garden Club

With cooler weather just around the corner, it’s time to turn our attention to plants that offer winter interest. Think in terms of berries. Not only will you give your garden a boost, but you will also be providing your local wildlife with a nutritious boost as well.

Beautyberry, or callicarpa Americana, is an overlooked shrub, as it does not offer spectacular spring flowers. However, come late summer and fall, all eyes are on this beauty. It produces dazzling clusters of BB-sized violet berries up and down the stem and the foliage turns to a limey green, accentuating them. Berries typically last a couple of months, depending on the number of hungry birds or deer in the area.

Beautyberry serves as a crucial food source for birds and deer. The berries are also edible to humans, although they should be consumed in small amounts. Raw berries are edible but are generally used to make jellies and wines.

Various Native American tribes used the roots, leaves and branches for medicinal purposes to treat malarial fevers and rheumatism. The roots were used to treat dizziness, stomachaches and dysentery. Roots and berries were boiled and drunk to treat colic.

Full sunlight provides the best growing conditions for maximum berry production. However, since the plants grow on the edge of the woodlands naturally, partial sun is adequate to produce a nice shrub. On average they grow 3-6-feet wide and 3-6 feet tall but can reach up to 9 feet. They prefer rich, loamy, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH. They are hardy USDA zones 5-8.

Pruning the shrub to about 10 inches from the ground in late winter every few years will keep it healthy and prevent it from getting too leggy and out of control.

There are several new hybrids available on the market. One to look for is “Heavy Berry,” a beautyberry known to have branches dripping with tight purple clusters. Now is the time to start thinking about what to add to your landscape next spring. ∞