Beautyberries, Callicarpa

Incredible purple bead-like berries of the beautyberry.

Beautyberry plants have graceful arching stems.

Flowers attract bees and butterflies.

Berries contrast with the pale green foliage and provide food for birds during the winter.

Profusion Beautyberry bears many berries, hence it's name.

For Zones 8 to 10, choose Callicarpa formosana, a more heat tolerant beautyberry.

Purple beautyberry (C. dichotoma)

Plants prefer full sun and become scraggly in shade.

Common Name:  beautyberry
Botanical Name: Callicarpa species
Form:   cascading stems
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Callicarpa
Species: numerous
Plant Type:  deciduous shrub
Mature Size: depends on variety
Growth: fast
Origin: Asia, Central America, North America
Hardiness Zone: depends on variety
Foliage: dull green, pinnate, serrated, simple leaves 1” to 3” long turn yellow in fall
Flowers: small violet, pink or white inconspicuous flowers held in clusters in the axils along stems in early summer
Fruit:  shiny violet bead-like drupes held in clusters that wrap around stems
Stems: opposite leaf arrangement
Exposure: sun to part shade, too much shade produces leggy plants
Soil: soil tolerant prefers well-drained, medium moisture.
Uses: garden borders, native gardens, informal, cottage, butterfly, bee and bird gardens, winter interest
Propagation:  softwood cuttings in spring or semi-ripe cuttings in summer
Pruning: blooms on new growth, prune back to 12 inches above the ground in late winter to early spring to promote compact growth
​Problems: scale, mildew leaf scorch but are uncommon, may die back in harsh winters, but will regrow
Cultivars: numerous, see below
Comments: 
Flowers attract bees and butterflies, the berries attract birds. Group a few together to increase cross pollination and more fruit.
 
The Callicarpa genus includes 140 species of shrubs and trees. All bear dense clusters of white, pink, red or purple flowers during the summer followed by clusters of purple, magenta coloured bead-like fruit that deepen in colour as they age. Berries persists well after the leaves have fallen for a dramatic and colourful fall and winter display.
 
Four species are used in ornamental gardens American Beautyberry C. americana, which is hardy in Zones 6 to 10. The Asian species (Callicarpa japonica, C. dichotoma, C. bodinieri are hardy in Zones 5 to 8. All species bear purple berries through fall and winter.  

• American beautyberry (C. americana),  3’ – 6’ tall and wide Zones 6 to 10, bushy, loose and graceful arching habit.
• Profusion beautyberry (C. bodinieri var. giraldii ‘Profusion’), a popular cultivar, Zones 5 to 8, 3’ – 4’ x 4’ – 5’, arching branches with violet purple fruits  
• Purple beautyberry (C. dichotoma), Zones 5 to 8, 3’ – 4’ x 3’ – 5’, small, compact, rounded form with long arching branches. Small pink to lavender flowers followed by lilac violet fruit.  
• Japanese beautyberry (C. japonica) Zones 5 to 8, 4’ – 6’ tall and wide
• Beautyberry (C. formosana), 3 to 9 feet, China, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan, stems covered in greyish hairs, purple berries. Bristly foliage may cause irritation. Zones 8 to 10. 

The berries of Callicarpa formosana.

The berries persist into winter on leafless stems.