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| Photo Credit: Lane Greer |
| The large, purple fruit of American beautyberry creates an amazing fall display. |
Who can resist a plant called beautyberry? Even their scientific name, Callicarpa, means “beautiful seeded,” and these plants really live up to their name. In fall, the fruit is a magnificent metallic purple – an absolutely unbeatable color that looks great in the garden or cut for fall arrangements.
American beautyberry (C. americana), also known as French mulberry, is native to the Southeast and hardy in USDA zones 7-10. Clusters of large, purple fruit encircle the stem at each node (the place on the stem where the leaves are attached). Although you can find American beautyberry growing in the wild, garden-grown plants outperform them. There is also a white-fruited form, sometimes called white beautyberry (C. americana var. lactea). American beautyberry is incredibly easy to grow and drought-tolerant. The flowers are nothing to shout about – they’re a pale pink-purple and are borne in early summer. But this excellent shrub grows fast and bears attractive fruit on new wood, so it can be cut back to the ground in early spring. The plant grows 5-10 feet tall, depending on location and amount of summer watering.
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