Callicarpa americana
Photo by John Bradford. Photograph belongs to the photographer who allows use for FNPS purposes only. Please contact the photographer for all other uses.
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 11 8A 8B 9A 9B
2002-2022, Copyright Florida Native Plant Society
American Beautyberry
Lamiaceae (Labiatae)
Plant Specifics
| Size: | 4-8 ft tall by 3-6 ft wide | |
| Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | White,pink | |
| Fruit Color: | Magenta or white | |
| Phenology: | Deciduous to the north, evergreen in the south. Blooms spring-fall. | |
| Habitats: | Dry mesic hardwoods, xeric hammock, scrubby flatwoods, flatwoods, disturbed dry-moist woods. |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Specimen plant, mass planting, casual shrub screen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| Moisture Tolerance: | Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Somewhat long very dry periods | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray Tolerance: | Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil/Substrate: | Loam, Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wildlife
Many bird species consume the fruit. including catbirds, mockinbirds, and robins.
Larval host for for spring azure butterflies and snowberry clearwing moths.
Attracts various pollinators, especially bees. Documented bees include Agapostemon splendens, Augochlora pura, Dialictus placidensis, Halictus ligatus, Megachile brevis pseudobrevis and the none-native Apis mellifera (honeybee) (Deyrup et al. 2002).