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Image of the ornamental fruits of the beautiful butterfly and bird
attractant, Callicarpa Amerlcana or American Beautyberry or Beautyberry
or French Mulberry |
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Callicarpa americana
(American Beautyberry, Beautyberry, French Mulberry)
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Family: Verbenaceae
Origin: Native from Maryland to Florida and west through
Tennessee Arkansas and Texas
Light: Sun-part shade/light shade
Height: Up to 6'
Spread: 4-6'
Blooms: Pale pink flowers in mid-Spring mature to closely knitted
clusters of metallic magenta and violet berries in the Fall
Foliage: Deciduous, 6-10" long, green to yellow-green, opposite,
prominently-veined, ovate to broadly , coarsely serrated to crenate
margins, hairy underneath
Soil: Well-drained, moist, rich, organic, drought-tolerant when
established, acidic-neutral (pH:5.6-7.5)
Water: Regular
Propagation: Seeds (remove fleshy coatings, soak in hot water), softwood cuttings (when
placed in sandy moist soil, should root in about 2 weeks)
Uses: Specimen, shrub border, landscaping, woodland setting, mass
planting, food source for wildlife
Comments: Callicarpa Amerlcana or American Beautyberry or
Beautyberry or French Mulberry is a beautiful
shade-tolerant ornamental shrub. This herbal shrub looks lovely when the
green leaves turn chartreuse in the Fall. The vibrant purple
fruits of the American Beautyberry
makes a conversational piece. It is heat and cold tolerant and attracts many bees, butterflies
and birds especially
Bobwhites, Mockingbirds, robins,
cardinals, catbirds, towhees, brown finches and brown thrashers find the
berries irrisistible. Crushed leaves rubbed onto skin wards off
ticks, ants and mosquitoes. Trim
American Beautyberry shrub
to ground in late Winter or
early Spring to promote fuller growth and flowering next season.
Plant French Mulberry in masses for a striking effect in the
shrub border or plant it as an understory plant in the landscaping
garden or in a woodland setting. 'Lactea' is another cultivar that
has white fruits.
USDA Hardiness Zones : 7-10 |
