Beautyberry

Fall is the time when you can buy just about anything—from coffee to marshmallows–in “pumpkin spice” flavor.  The pumpkin spice feeling even extends to our homes and gardens in the russet shades of chrysanthemums and the amber tones of autumn pansies.

But what if you want all the spice and none of the pumpkin?  If you are a gardener you can bring the spice home by investing in beautyberry, known botanically as callicarpa.  The shrub’s brilliant, inedible (at least to humans) fall berries liven up the garden scene like small neon-purple Easter eggs, giving the landscape considerable spice without a hint of pumpkin color.

Callicarpa, a deciduous shrub, is part of the very large Lamiaceae or mint family.  The genus was first described by Linnaeus back in 1753.  The common name, which describes the plant beautifully, is a literal translation of the Latin one, which is derived from two ancient Greek words: “callos”, meaning beauty, and “carpos”, meaning fruit.

There are a number of Callicarpa species and varieties on the market, and a few popular new hybrids.  Native to parts of eastern Asia as well as North America, the various callicarpa species have a lot in common, starting with graceful arching branches and a relatively compact size, ranging from two to five feet tall and three to four feet wide, depending on variety.

In spring, callicarpa starts the season by sprouting pairs of light to mid-green ovoid leaves that are opposed on those branches.  The foliage is complemented in summer by frothy clusters of tiny pale pink or white flowers that attract butterflies and other pollinators.  The flowers appear in the leaf axils, where leaves meet stems, and are the opening act for the purple berries that burst forth in late summer or early fall.  Borne in tight clusters, the fruits, which may range in color from bright lavender through deeper velvet purple, seem to completely encircle the stems.  They last a good long time on the shrubs, and are especially eye-catching after the leaves have dropped, but shrivel before winter’s end.  Of course, hungry birds may prevent a prolonged display, but the birds have to make their way in a hostile world and it’s hard to begrudge them.

Longwood Gardens, the renowned botanical institution in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, conducted a trial of callicarpas starting nearly 20 years ago and lasting for eight years.  In judging the quality of the shrubs, the Longwood evaluators considered appearance, hardiness, disease and pest susceptibility and landscape value.  The highest rated shrub was Callicarpa bodinieri var. geraldii, which is sold under the name ‘Profusion’.  This upright variety, long favored in Europe, grows between four to six feet tall and wide and produces small, fragrant lavender flowers in spring.  The toothed leaves are oval-shaped and emerge purple-bronze in color before changing to green in the summer.  At the end of the season, the foliage turns yellow before falling from the plant.

Callicarpa dichotoma‘Early Amethyst’ is another highly rated variety that bears the characteristic purple fruits earlier than most other species and varieties.

Native plant lovers may choose to invest in Callicarpa americana, which was selected as the 2021 “North Carolina Wildflower of the Year” by the North Carolina Botanical Garden.  The leaves are lighter green than those of the bodinieri species, creating a nice contrast with the fruits, which are somewhat darker and larger.  Some varieties of the Japanese native, Callicarpa japonica, also offer heavy fruit production and distinctive light purple berries.

‘Pearl Glam’, a relatively recent hybrid beautyberry, also bears the characteristic purple fruits.  Its habit is more upright than some of its mounding relatives, and its foliage is dark green-purple, adding a striking feature even before the fruits appear.

While callicarpa is renowned for purple fruits, white-fruited forms are also available.  ‘Snow Star’, part of the Plump and Plentiful trademarked shrub series, is widely available. ‘Duet’, is another variety with white berries and the added attraction of green foliage edged in cream.

True to its minty nature, callicarpa is relatively easy to care for, requiring regular moisture until it is established, but only moderate moisture levels afterwards.  Extremely harsh winters may cause the plant to die back to the ground, but branches will generally resprout as the growing season gets underway.  If you want to prune any beautyberry to keep the plant to a specific size, the pruning should be done in early spring.  This will not affect flowering or berry production, because callicarpas bloom on new wood.

The shrubs look wonderful as specimen plants, but can also be used in single variety or mixed hedges.  One of the most effective ways to display the berried branches is to plant the shrubs atop a low retaining wall, allowing the arching stems to cascade downward.  Displayed this way, the purple berries take on a special glow in the mellow autumn light.