It typically matures to a height of four to five feet, and many gardeners love it for its spectacular bright purple berries. The beautyberry is a favorite food for more than 40 species of song birds, squirrels (like the guy below foraging in a beautyberry bush), raccoons, opossums, foxes and armadillos. The flowering to fruiting works its way slowly up each stem until the leaves begin changing to yellow in the fall. The scientific name for beautyberry is Callicarpa, which is the name of the genus that encompasses all 165 varieties.An individual species is identified by the second word (specific epithet) that comes after Callicarpa.. For example, Callicarpa americana is the American beautyberry, which can be found in the southeast United States where it natively grows. Beautyberry produces white or light pink flowers in the summer that make quite a statement in the garden. NOTES: American beautyberry is a wonderful, large under story shrub with a naturally loose and graceful arching form. And beautyberry also does not seem to be high on their list of favored plants. American beautyberry shrubs (Callicarpa americana, USDA zones 7 through 11) bloom in late summer, and although the flowers aren’t much to look at, the jewel-like, purple or white berries are dazzling.The fall foliage is an attractive yellow or chartreuse color. American Beautyberry is one of about 140 species in the Callicarpa genus. American beautyberry most often grows 3 to 5 feet tall and usually just as wide. Deer also eat the berries and will browse on the leaves if they can't find other food higher up on their favorites list. PROBLEMS: Needs more water than most native plants. The researchers found that the plant isolates was equally as effective in repelling the ticks as DEET. Like; Save; laceyvail 6A, WV. This is significant since the deer tick is responsible for transmitting Lyme disease to humans. Make More Memories . Callicarpa americana, the American beautyberry, is an open-habitat, native shrub of the Southern United States which is often grown as an ornamental in gardens and yards.American beautyberries produce large clusters of purple berries, which birds and deer eat, thus distributing the seeds. American Beautyberry. American beautyberry Callicarpa americana is native to the southeastern United States. If you’re in a wilderness survival situation (or even if you’re not), a beautyberry patch can be a valuable place to hunt, or set traps to work to secure food for you while you’re doing other things. The fruit is also eaten by raccoon, opossum, and gray fox [].American beautyberry is considered one of the most desirable spring and summer browse of white-tailed deer [1,10]. Deer, bears, hogs, turkeys, squirrels, and birds of all sizes all love them. The shrub has a weeping effect that is common to other beautyberries. It is a small rounded, compact, deciduous shrub with ornamental fruits. The leaves begin dropping in the fall, making the berries even more showy. Nashville warbler on American beautyberry by Mary Keim. The berries hold well into the winter, making a delicious treat for birds. The Purple Beautyberry is the most beautiful of the Callicarpa species. Better Hunts on Your Land. The funny thing was, though, that everyone took them for granted. I’ve got some options for you. Asian Beautyberry: Japanese beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica) and Chinese beautyberry (C. dichotoma and C. bodinieri) are cold tolerant to zone 5 but a little less heat tolerant than American beautyberry. It can typically reach 1 to 2 meters in height. Snowberry is a native here and seems to be mostly ignored by deer. Beautyberry can be used for a number of purposes. It generally grows as an understory plant. American beautyberry has fragrant, fuzzy green foliage that is considered moderate in its preference to deer. In an attractive wildlife habitat such as New Quarter Park, year-round inhabitants like mockingbirds, robins, opossums, deer, raccoons, and others also eat the berries. Shop All Plants. A beautiful native plant that propagates easily and has numerous beneficial uses for humans and animals alike. “American Beautyberry, sometimes called French Mulberry, Callicarpa americana is a US native deciduous shrub that grows wild from Maryland to Florida and west through Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas. They are … You can make tea from the roots to treat diarrhea and stomach aches. Also known as French mulberry, American beautyberry is a woody shrub found in pinelands and hammocks throughout Florida. At least 10 species of birds feed on the fruit, especially northern bobwhite. Score bigger and have more productive hunts! Beautyberries bloom in summer from May to July but this year in Florida they bloomed well into August. American beautyberry is another fruit-producing perennial shrub that whitetails adore. Its leaves are smaller and closer together on the stems than the American Beautyberry or Japanese Beautyberry. The plant’s foliage offers cover for small wildlife. View Dr. Deer’s Featured Resource. As deer managers, it is important to understand the preferred forages where you live and/or hunt, and while learning everything deer eat in your area is a daunting task, the QDMA has just made it a little easier. American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is common to the southern United Stated so I will focus on that species. It is found in a vast range of soil types and moisture conditions. They are typically 2-4 feet tall. [ 1 reply | ] Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Mar 5, 2019 4:13 PM Beautyberry is a charming berried shrub that deer usually avoid damaging. Post author By Eva Fiallos-Diaz; Post date September 15, 2020; Scientific name: Callicarpa americana L. Other common names: American mulberry, French mulberry, Wild goose’s berries, Zi Zhu in Traditional Chinese Medicine. American beautyberry is the only species native to the United States, though the Japanese beautyberry has reportedly naturalized in some places. You seldom saw them in landscapes, and you never saw them in nurseries. The native range of C. … Whitetails eat a variety of plant types such as trees, shrubs, herbaceous forages (forbs), and agricultural crops. If you start with Oklahoma and include all points south and east of there, you have a good idea of the American beautyberry’s native growing area. That’s changed now, however. American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is an attractive, common landscape shrub native to the southeastern US. American beautyberry is a Central Texas native shrubby small tree that’s perfect under large shade trees. Of the three, Foliage is a favorite of white-tailed deer. Trees & Shrubs Specifically Selected & Bred … It has attractive berries (hence the name) that last well into the winter and feed several bird species as well as deer. In mid-summer, each leaf axil is surrounded by loads of small, pinkish to bluish flowers followed by clumps of powerfully bright, purple drupes. ps. White tailed deer are quite fond of munching on the leaves. American Beautyberry ... important foods for many species of birds, particularly the Northern Bobwhite. Learn all about beautyberries in this article! It just wasn’t fall in College Station without American beautyberries colorizing the post oak forests around me. American Beautyberry Bush: Insect Repellant, Fire Ant Deterrent, Delicious Jellies and Wines, and a Cure for Rheumatism, Colic and More! Sometimes deer bed down in the beautyberry bushes, which brings up another subject: the plant's ability to repel insects. It likes the filtered sun but can take some sun. Don’t worry if you live outside of this area. These stunning berries can be purple or white in color and are an important food source for birds while white tail deer love Beautyberry’s foliage. Because beautyberry blooms on new growth, you don’t need to worry about accidentally pruning off flower buds in the fall. Fruit starts to … It’s in the Vervain family (Verbenaceae). The shrub has long, arching branches and yellow-green fall foliage, but its most striking feature is the clusters of glossy, iridescent-purple fruit (sometimes white) which hugs the branches at leaf axils in the fall and winter. Observe and interact with wildlife. Landscaping for Successful Wildlife Management. American Beautyberry. Shop Now. This one doesn’t just grow up to 6 feet, it even provides as much as 6 feet coverage in width. This shrub gets its name from a gorgeous display of bright purple berries in the fall. Besides the American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), some other species of beautyberry include: Bodinier's beautyberry (Callicarpa bodinieri): This shrub is native to China and grows to around 10 feet tall by 8 feet wide. Their adaptability makes them a great plant for tight conditions like roadsides or yard edges, but also for nearly any home landscape. American Beautyberry. The white tail deer will browse the leaves. American Beautyberry. 4 years ago. American beautyberry grows quickly to 5’ tall or more and is winter hardy to zone 7. While gardening with deer can be a challenge, Ruth Rogers Clausen has some tips to make it easier. The little berries remain on the plant into the winter, even after the leaves have dropped. Asian beautyberry: The three Asian species, Callicarpa japonica from Japan, Callicarpa bodinieri from China, and Callicarpa dichotoma, from Japan, China, and Korea, are more cold tolerant (Zones 5-8) than their American cousin. Growing to about four to six feet tall and wide in most situations, this deciduous, somewhat shrubby plant may get even larger with ample rainfall and healthy soil conditions. I live in "deer heaven" also!! American beautyberry has been cultivated into varieties with purple or white berries. Other distinguishing features include a more arching or weeping form and smaller berries that hang from the branches in grape-like bunches. Callicarpa dichotoma (I have 'Issai') has been completely deer resistant for me. IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : The seeds of American beautyberry are an important food source for birds and small mammals. An American study published in 2007 looked at the effects of compounds isolated from the American beautyberry against deer ticks and lone star ticks. American beautyberry has a coarse habit, large-toothed green to yellow-green oval-shaped leaves that turn chartreuse in the fall. It produces edible berries that can be turned into very tasty recipes and leaves that can be used an effective insect repellent. Description of American Beautyberry. But it is more cold tolerant than the American version. The plants can grow to a height of 4-8 feet and spread 3-6 feet wide. American Beautyberry, also known as French mulberry or simply beautyberry, is a deciduous shrub that is common in the southeastern United States. Impressive Herds. A jelly can be made from its ripe berries. Its flowers are a nectar source for butterflies and bees, while its dense clusters of berries provide food for birds and deer in late summer and fall. American beautyberry shrubs lose their leaves in the winter but the clusters of dried berries often remain on its long, drooping branches. View Product. It can reach 9 feet in height in favorable soil and moisture conditions. Like the American beautyberry, it also produces purple berries. Ms. Clausen is the author of the new book "50 Beautiful Deer … The beautyberry plant has been a traditional folk remedy (teas, sprays, ointments and tinctures) for repelling mosquitoes, horseflies, deerflies, ticks, and other biting insects for over a century. The clusters of purple/pink flowers appear in early summer and quickly become small, white-pink berries. Small lilac flowers appear in late summer, and for the next several months, the fruit, which grows in clusters around the stem, ripen to vibrant purple color. As late summer turns to fall the bright magenta berries of American beautyberry capture the eye. My daddy always called ’em French mulberry,” my husband, a seventh-generation Texan, tells me as he pulls a branch toward him to examine the telltale nibble marks of white-tailed deer. Deer will eat the leaves and stems of the beautyberry throughout the summer, but the moisture-rich fruit itself is key. Have larger and healthier wildlife on your land. Doesn't mean they won't sample but I wouldn't describe either as 'deer candy'. Beautyberry shrubs can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including sandy and wet soils, full sun, and part shade. What are beauty berries used for? Leaves appear in late spring, often after many other plants. The American Beautyberry is a deciduous shrub that grows on average to 6 feet in height, though the New Quarter Park trees are 10 to 12 feet high and wide in places! That’s where I grew up, and these plants were a part of my autumns.