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American Beautyberry
AMERICAN BEAUTYBERRY
By Rebecca Slater, Information Specialist
Clemson Extension Home and Garden Information Center 1-888-656-9988
I’ll never forget the first time I saw an American Beautyberry- it was in the fall, probably early October, and I was taking a stroll at the South Carolina Botanical Garden. As I rounded a corner, I came across a huge, 8’ tall shrub loaded with the most unnatural looking violet-magenta fruits. The color contrast between the vivid fruits and the chartreuse leaves was perfect! I was new to the south, and it just blew me away. I’d never seen anything with berries of that color before, and I just had to have one! I do now, but it will be a while before my plants look like that old specimen at the botanical garden.
American beautyberry has a coarse habit, with light green, oval-shaped leaves that turn chartreuse in the fall. Small lavender flowers are produced in late summer, and for the next several months, the fruit, which grow in clusters around the stem, ripen to a vibrant purple color.
This shrub reaches 3-8’ tall and is native to the southeast, where it grows in moist areas. If it gets lanky, prune it within 4-6” of the ground in early spring- it flowers and fruits on new wood. To make more beautyberries, take softwood cuttings and place them in sand under mist- they should root in one to two weeks.
This is a plant that thrives on neglect- it tolerates extremes of heat and cold, is rarely bothered by pests or diseases and isn’t particular about soil, as long as it isn’t bone dry or sopping wet. Beautyberry is happy in partial shade but can also handle full sun, provided it is mulched and given a bit more water. It will also be denser and more fruitful in sun. A small handful of slow release fertilizer each spring is all that’s needed to keep this beauty happy.
American Beautyberry looks best planted in masses and is especially nice under pine trees or integrated into a shrub border.
Birds love the fruit of American Beautyberry. In some areas, the bushes keep their fruits until late fall or even early winter. In my garden, they’re gone within a week of ripening!
For more information about landscapes, gardens and more, please visit our website at: http://hgic.clemson.edu
Last update4/24/2008
This website is maintained by Marion County Extension.
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