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One of my late-winter to early-spring gardening tasks is pruning certain shrubs including beautyberry bushes in my garden.
Although the name beautyberry almost seems boastful, it's truly accurate for this plant; it is a beauty. The scientific name for beautyberry is Callicarpa, a Greek word, "calli" means beauty and "carpa" means fruit. This plant has also been known as French mulberry, sourbush and bunchberry. There are native beautyberry bushes – Callicarpa Americana – found in central and southeastern states from Maryland to Texas where it is a woody perennial often in the understory. Also, the Callicarpa Dichotoma plant is a native of Korea, Japan, China, and Vietnam. When comparing the two plants, the American beautyberry tends to be taller and wider than the Asian beautyberry. Cultivars of this plant are also available.
Though annual pruning of these bushes is not essential, early pruning does allow for shaping the shrub in a neat and tidy manner. That is, cutting the stems down to about 12 inches not only limits the height but also shapes the shrub. Hard pruning as low as 6 inches is also an option. All in all, this task allows me to witness the new growth of the beautyberry throughout summer until it brings a lovely reward to the gardener in autumn.
This plant grows well in zones 5-8 in either sun or part shade. The types of soils in which it thrives include: acidic, loamy, alkaline, clay, drought, sandy or well-drained. Shrubs grow to 3-5 feet with a somewhat larger spread although shrubs in native environments may grow to 8 feet. The branches are arching so tips of the leaves may touch the ground. Leaves are oval, pointed, and serrated; some plants may have variegated leaves. This plant may be propagated through stem cuttings or seeds, and it does not have significant insect or disease problems.
Since beautyberry plants bloom on new growth, by mid-summer the sound of buzzing bees attracted to the delicate, light lavender to pink blossoms in clusters along the lengthening gray-brown branches is a pleasure. Butterflies are also drawn to the nectar of these plants.
By October there are multiple clusters of small, delicate, purple berries along the length of the stem at the leaf axils. Although a single berry may only be about 1/8 inch across, the abundance of berry clusters weighs down the stems of the bushes bringing color to the fading fall garden. These beautiful purple berries are enjoyed by 40 different types of songbirds although from my observations they don't generally consume the new berries. Instead, when the berries have darkened and food is scarcer during winter, birds land on branches for a feast of berries. Some plants may have white berries.
According to ethnobotanists, American Indians of the Alabama, Choctaw, Creek, Koasati, and Seminole nations found many medicinal uses for these plants. For example, roots, leaves, and branches were boiled and placed in sweat baths for the treatment of rheumatism and malaria. A tea made from the roots and berries was used for treating colic. Extracts from roots were also used for dizziness, urine retention and stomach aches while concoctions made with bark from stems and roots were used for itchy skin. Crushed leaves were deterrents for mosquitoes and ticks. Today research continues to explore medicinal and therapeutic properties of this plant.
Finally, though the raw berries are bitter tasting fresh from the shrub, berries can be used for making jellies and wines. The jelly is described as having a light purple tint with a mild taste like grape jelly.
Mary Marks became an OSU Extension Master Gardener shortly after moving to Marietta, Ohio, in 2010. Her gardening interests include planting native and perennial plants in her garden while reducing invasive plants on her property.