American beautyberry
Callicarpa americana · Lamiaceae
A loose, arching native shrub that is unremarkable until autumn, when clusters of shining, magenta-purple berries encircle the stems at every pair of leaves.
- Size
- 6 ft tall, 6 ft wide
- Zones
- 6 to 10
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Late June to late July
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
A bed built around American beautyberry
The planner designed this bed around American beautyberry when this page was made: a 16 × 8 ft (4.9 × 2.4 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why American beautyberry stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 American beautyberry × 1, pink
- 2 Dianthus 'Kahori' × 8, pink
- 3 Heath aster 'Snow Flurry' × 10, white
- 4 Italian bugloss 'Dropmore' × 5, blue
- 5 Switchgrass 'Prairie Sky' × 4, tan
- 6 Coneflower 'Green Jewel' × 3, green
- 7 Ornamental onion 'Purple Sensation' × 5, purple
- 8 Easter lily × 5, white
- 9 Hardy gladiolus × 5, pink
Why this plant
- The only dense clusters. The others are open bowls, daisies, airy sprays and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
- Part of the bed's structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down. So does switchgrass 'Prairie Sky'.
Why here
- Anchors a back corner. At 6 ft it is the tallest plant here, and the tallest close the ends of the bed, where they stand in front of nothing.
- A step in the back row. Next to switchgrass 'Prairie Sky' (5 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- In flower for six weeks. From late June to late July.
- Part of the bed's peak. With dianthus 'Kahori', Italian bugloss 'Dropmore', coneflower 'Green Jewel' and others in early July: 5 kinds at once. No week has more.
Planned as an English border: 6 of the 7 groups (86%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The bed is balanced: the left half carries 49% of the visual weight and the right half 51%. Pink, blue, purple, white, tan and green make a cool, restful scheme.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 6 Good, 1 Satisfactory.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where American beautyberry goes in a border
At 6 ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is very tall (5 to 6½ ft).
Its job: anchor. A shrub that gives the bed permanent structure. Planted singly, as soon as the front edge is laid; everything else is arranged around it.
The berry colour is like nothing else in the garden. Plant it in groups for a better crop. Cut it back hard in late winter; it flowers and fruits on new growth.
- Spectacular autumn berries
- Native woodland edges in the South
- Food for birds
What to plant with American beautyberry
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Switchgrass 'Shenandoah': its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after.
- Pink muhly grass: carries the spot on into early November; low enough (3 ft) to stand in front of it.
- Black-eyed Susan: in flower together for three weeks, from mid July; low enough (24 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about American beautyberry
Does American beautyberry need sun or shade?
American beautyberry grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does American beautyberry grow in?
USDA zones 6 to 10. It is hardy to zone 6, which means it survives winter nights down to about 0 °F (−18 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does American beautyberry flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late June to late July. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 6 | Late June to late July |
|---|---|
| Zone 7 | Mid June to mid July |
| Zone 8 | Mid June to mid July |
| Zone 9 | Early June to mid July |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should American beautyberry be planted?
5 ft (150 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 6 ft (180 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 6 ft (180 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many American beautyberry plants do I need?
Usually one. At 5 ft (150 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 5 ft apart: three plants for a 10 ft run.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is American beautyberry poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat American beautyberry?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What flowers after American beautyberry?
American beautyberry is over by late July. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Hardy hibiscus: from late July to mid September, 5 ft tall.
- Tiger lily: from late July to late August, 4 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Garden phlox: from mid July to early September, 3½ ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
What does American beautyberry look like in winter?
American beautyberry drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.
Is American beautyberry good for bees and butterflies?
American beautyberry is visited by pollinators, butterflies and songbirds.
It is native to the United States.
More Callicarpa
- Beautyberry 'Early Amethyst' Callicarpa dichotoma 'Early Amethyst'
- Bodinier's beautyberry 'Profusion' Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion'
- Purple beautyberry Callicarpa dichotoma
In these guides
- Plants for wet soil and rain gardens
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants that feed garden birds
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 6 ft (180 cm) tall, 6 ft (180 cm) wide
- Plant
- 5 ft (150 cm) apart
- Height class
- Very tall (5 to 6½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- Late June to late July; dense clusters; pink
- Leaves
- Medium texture, deciduous; green
- Shape
- Arching, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 6 to 10
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Comes from
- Central and Southeastern United States, Bermuda, and Cuba
- Attracts
- Pollinators, butterflies, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, drought, heat, wet soil
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.