American Beautyberry Callicarpa Americana

Buy American Beautyberry Online

Colorful & Edible — This Native Shrub Packs A Powerful Punch in the Garden!

Naturalize your landscape with a beautiful fruiting shrub that benefits local wildlife and creates visual interest throughout most of the year. Best of all, the fruit of Callicarpa 'Americana' aka the American beautyberry bush can be made into jams, teas, wines, and other sweet treats! Yum!

Callicarpa Americana beautyberry is also known as American mulberry, French mulberry, and beauty berry. It is native to the Southeastern US, Central America, and parts of Asia. 

This perennial shrub is a part of the mint family and is celebrated for its fruit and bright leaves. Gorgeous purple berries adorn this bright green deciduous shrub, summer through fall. 

Early spring brings an abundance of newly formed woody stalks and stems that shoot upward from the ground and arch over under the weight of their foliage. Bright yellow-green leaves emerge first, closely followed by clusters of small flowers by late spring. 

All About Callicarpa Americana Flowers & Berries

Late spring through summer, clusters of small purplish-white flowers bloom directly on long stalks and shoots creating a lovely visual display. By mid-summer, rows of encircling reddish-purple berries begin to emerge, last through October, and sometimes abide even into early winter! 

The deep purple berries contrast beautifully against its enduringly bright yellow-green leaves. Into late fall and winter, these glossy berries tend to remain, even after the plant has shed most of its leaves. This creates a lovely effect where plump glossy berries seem to float and be suspended in the air. 

American Beautyberry Edible Parts

Naturally, songbirds and small mammals adore this plant for its low foliage and edible fruit. Pollinators love it for its abundant flowers. We as humans appreciate this plant because its crushed leaves can be used as a mosquito repellent! American beautyberry also has a variety of other medicinal qualities and is high in vitamin C. 

American Beautyberry Uses in the Garden

In the wild, American beautyberry thrives in open meadows and woodlands with adequate light. Us it for erosion control on sloped lots, mass planting on larger lots, as a tall privacy hedge, as an ornamental specimen, or use in containers for your patio. It really does well in naturalized areas and will provide beneficial habitation and food for local wildlife. 

Beauty Berry Bush Care Information

Since the American beautyberry is a native plant, it is resistant to disease and pests. White-tailed deer do regularly enjoy foliage and berries. If you love bird watching and observing local wildlife, then this shrub is perfect for you. 

American beautyberry prefers full sun and will fail to thrive if kept in full shade. Dappled shade is fine, but this plant needs plenty of sunlight in order to fruit and flower well. 

Water American beautyberry weekly or as needed. During extreme heat, water more often. This shrub tolerates variable soil with good drainage. However, acidic soil will encourage the best fruiting. 

American Beautyberry Zones

American beautyberry grows best in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8.

American Beautyberry Size

American beautyberry grows at a moderate speed. It reaches about 4 to 8 feet tall and wide. Space the plant about 3 to 6 feet apart to form a continuous hedge. American beautyberry does tend to fruit better in instances of mass planting when other plants of its kind are nearby. You can even prune this into a small American Beautyberry Tree!

American Beautyberry Pruning

It is best to prune American beautyberry in late winter. Remove old canes and shoots to encourage new growth. Flowers and fruit tend to only grow on new growth. Propagation can be achieved via cuttings or from seed. 

Companion Planting

• Aronia arbutifolia
• Cornus florida
• Hydrangea quercifolia
• Pinus virginiana
• Rhododendron
• Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’
  

Consider Adding American Beautyberry to Your Garden!

If you love flowers, colorful berries, and the wildlife they draw then this is the perfect shrub for your unique landscape. Order your American Beautyberry for sale today!

Tell us about how you used your American beautyberry in the comments below. We would love to hear your story!

Happy planting!

Browse all our flowering shrubs for sale.

Ask a question