The beautyberry is blooming right now and the bees are loving it. This Mississippi perennial native plant (well, woody shrub) produces these small lavender flowers in summer and bright purple berries in late summer and fall. Its scientific name is Callicarpa americana. You might find it when you are out walking in the woods, though it’s a lot easier to spot when the berries are on the branches.
The berries are the striking part of this plant and provide food for songbirds, opossums, foxes, raccoons, deer, squirrels, black bears, and even quail. The berries really stand out in the fall when the leaves have fallen off.
This perennial shrub can be grown in part shade to full sun. It grows pretty quickly and can get as tall as 8 to 10 feet. If you want to keep it contained, just prune it back in the winter when it is bare of leaves.
You can grow beautyberry from seed or cuttings from the root or softwood. Plant the seeds in the fall season to allow them to overwinter for the first few months.
