Plant field guide
Beautyberry
Native shrub famous for its eye-catching clusters of iridescent magenta-purple berries along arching stems in fall. Nothing else in the garden has this color.
Growing requirements
- Scientific name
- Callicarpa americana
- Sun
- partial shade
- Water
- moderate
- Height
- 36 in (91 cm) – 72 in (183 cm)
- Spread
- 36 in (91 cm) – 72 in (183 cm)
- Spacing
- Not recorded
- Hardiness zones & minimum temperature
- USDA 6–10; average annual extreme minimum from -10°F (-23.3°C). Hardiness does not predict local frost dates.
- Difficulty
- easy
Planting & seasonal timing
Northern Hemisphere planting months: not yet verified in our database.
Northern Hemisphere pruning months: March.
For the Southern Hemisphere, these seasonal windows shift approximately six months. Check your local frost forecast, soil temperature, and species requirements; calendar months are not a guarantee of planting safety.
Native to southeastern US. Berries are most visible after leaves drop. Birds eat the berries. Old folk remedy - crushed leaves repel mosquitoes.
Pruning
Blooms on new wood. Cut back hard (to 12-18 inches) in late winter for best berry production. Or remove only dead wood for larger, arching form.
Fertilizer
Balanced organic
Early spring
Mulch
2-3 inches of organic mulch.