North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Callicarpa americana

Callicarpa americana L.

american beautyberry, american beauty-berry, beautyberry, french-mulberry

Synonym(s): Callicarpa americana var. lactea
Cultivar(s): Welch's Pink, White

Callicarpa americana (American Beautyberry)

Image ID: 12859
Image by: Cressler, Alan M.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: CAAM2
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Callicarpa americana
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-01-04

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
1760	Welch's Pink	View
1203	White	View

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: CALLI2
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Callicarpa
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Beautyberry
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 140 species, small trees, shrubs, and lianas, mainly tropical and subtropical.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Moldenke (1980)=Z; Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: LAMIAC
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Lamiaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: Lindley 1836 or LABIATAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Mint Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 230-250 genera and 6700-7170 species, herbs, shrubs, vines, and trees, cosmopolitan. The placement in the Lamiaceae of several genera traditionally placed in Verbenaceae (e.g. Clerodendrum) is strongly supported by several lines of evidence.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: cbnxcbncbmncxb
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 4-8 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Shrub

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Opposite
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION: Deciduous

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Bilateral (Zygomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: June-July

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
				x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: pink

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x		x

FRUITING PERIOD: Aug.-Oct. (persisting into the winter).

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Bottomlands, Moist forests
NATIVE RANGE: se. U.S. to Mexico & West Indies

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: American beautyberry is a fountain-shaped shrub native to coastal NC. This adaptable species is tolerant of various soils, as long as soil does not dry out. Its gracefully arching stems are showy throughout the fall, due to clusters of bright purple berries. It works well as an understory shrub. To keep American beautyberry more compact you can prune its stems back close to ground level in March but wait until its third year so it is established.

Bloom Table Text: While this common native shrub appears somewhat unremarkable through most of the year, it creates a striking display in September. This is when the pale pink midsummer flowers give way to whorls of violet berries that brighten the fall landscape and attract the attention of Bluebirds, Mockingbirds, Robins and Thrushes. It is a favorite of the Black-throated Blue Warbler in fall migration. Beautyberry is quite easy to cultivate, growing vigorously in almost any soil and in all but the deepest shade. To keep American beautyberry more compact you can prune its stems back close to ground level in March but wait until its third year so it is established.

NCBG Location: Education Center Landscapes, Coastal Plain Habitat, Children&#39s Wonder Garden, Totten Center Landscapes

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 7
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 11
GERMINATION CODE: 2 (3 months)
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Bird Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
514	SOS	2015-10-01	Dakar	View
521	SOS	2015-09-30	Driskill	View
533	SOS	2015-10-07	Dakar	View
818	SOS	2016-10-26	Walker	View
1322	HORT	2006-10-27	Bryan	View
1511	HORT	2005-03-08	Bryan	View
1628	HORT	1986-12-22	Moore	View
1696	HORT	2005-01-01	Bryan	View
2735	NPMD	2022-09-14	Searles	View
2753	NPMD	2022-09-15	Searles	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
793	1985-0451			View
1904	1986-1689			View
4848	1994-0057			View
6558	1996-0188			View
6561	1996-0191			View
8279	2004-0315	2007-07-20		View
8785	2007-0055	2007-03-14		View
8857	2007-0177	2007-07-20		View
8912	1986-1688	0000-00-00	1628	View
9472	2021-0128	2021-12-22	0	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
1511	793	166	NCBG staff	1999-12-08	View
3011	8912	27	NCBG staff	1996-01-01	View
3012	8912	6	Liloia	1986-12-22	View
3013	8912	81	NCBG staff	1987-04-01	View
3014	1904	6	NCBG staff	1986-12-22	View
7250	4848	27	NCBG staff	1994-12-15	View
9264	6558	142	NCBG staff	1996-03-06	View
9267	6561	142	NCBG staff	1996-03-06	View
11560	8279	160	NCBG staff	2004-01-01	View
12037	8785	60	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
12115	8857	166	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
12268	8912	39	NCBG staff	2011-02-22	View
12270	8912	38	Liloia	2011-04-20	View
12755	0	23	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
12964	9472	153	MacIntyre	0000-00-00	View
13258	0	111	Wait	0000-00-00	View
13743	0	71	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
14100	0	168	Neal	0000-00-00	View
14243	0	62	Liloia	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: CAAM2
USDA Common Name: American Beautyberry
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Shrub

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU				FACU	FACU		FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Callicarpa americana
COMMON NAME: Beautyberry, American Beautyberry, French-mulberry
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, G, K, Mo, RAB, S, Va, W, WH3]
PHENOLOGY: Jun-Jul; Aug-Oct (persisting into the winter).
HABITAT: Hammocks, other forests (especially with sandy or rocky soils), maritime forests (the main habitat northward), disturbed areas.
COMMENTS: MD and AR south to s. FL, TX, Mexico; West Indies.
RANGE MAP: Callicarpa americana.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Lamiaceae Lindley 1836 or LABIATAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Mint Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 230-250 genera and 6700-7170 species, herbs, shrubs, vines, and trees, cosmopolitan. The placement in the Lamiaceae of several genera traditionally placed in Verbenaceae (e.g. Clerodendrum) is strongly supported by several lines of evidence.
REFERENCE: Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Callicarpa L. (Beautyberry)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 140 species, small trees, shrubs, and lianas, mainly tropical and subtropical.
REFERENCE: Moldenke (1980)=Z; Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Callicarpa americana in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Callicarpa americana in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Callicarpa americana in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Callicarpa americana in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Callicarpa americana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Callicarpa americana

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 12859 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 12859 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 7886 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 61347 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)