Callicarpa americana
(Charles Linneaus)

by

BenJ'amin Norman

Common Names

American Beauty Berry

French Mulberry

Bermuda Mulberry

Spanish Mulberry

Turkeyberry

Sour-bush

Bunchberry

Filigrana de Mazobca

Filigrana de Pinar

Foxberry

Purple Beauty Berry

Higher Taxa

Class Dicotyledon (Magnoliopsida)

Order Lamiales

Family Verbenaceae

Genus Callicarpa

Species Americana

Identification

Charles Linnaeus is the authority who first described the species Callicarpa americana. He described this species in Species Plantarium in 1753. This species was first deposited at the Linnean Society of London.

Geography

Callicarpa americana is found predominantly from Maryland, south to Florida and west to Texas. To check the distribution of this species by region go to this

How to Encounter

In the south it is almost impossible not to encounter the luminescent flowers of the American Beauty Berry. If you are the campus of the University of Georgia you may encounter this bush at numerous spots. At the bus stop preceeding Hardman Hall you may encounter a scene like this.

^M

The stone bearing fruit of the American Beauty Berry ripens in September and October and persists until a hard frost shrivels them. They are often harvested by brown thrashers, catbirds, mockingbirds, an robins. The berry clusters follow the spring and summer displays of small purplish-pink flowers. The multistemmed shrub ranges from three to eight feet tall. Growing loose and upright. The four- to six-inch leaves turn a yellow in the fall and start to droop lik a dog's ears before coming detached from the branches. This leaves only gray stems masked in brilliant purple berries. Callicarpa Americana is the only Callicarpa that is native to the United States although there is a white-fruiting form, C. Americana var. Lactea. It may be killed to the ground in areas where winter temperatures dip to -5 or -10 degrees Fahrenheit but can bloom on new growth. American Beauty Berry does best in fertile loam and likes ample moisture, but will tolerate most soils and, upon maturation, can endure drougts. It does well in part shade but flowers and fruits best in full sun. It is disease resistant and does not appear to attract pests. It will grow from seed, division hardwood/softwood cuttings or plant transfer.(Hugo, 1993)

For more pictures of this beautiful berry bush during it's life span, click here. All pictures used in this page were retrieved from the WWW and are currently being used without permission. I am asking the sites for their permission.

References

Callicarpa Americana
AREA
STATUS
REFERENCES
NORTH AMERICA

Continental U.S.; Canada

Yes
HUGO, 1993
EASTERN NORTH AMERICA: United States east of Mississipp i: Ontario and eastern Canada
NO
HUGO, 1993
SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES: AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV
YES
HUGO, 1993
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN STATES: AL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV
YES
HUGO, 1993
COASTAL PLAIN
YES
HUGO, 1993
PIEDMONT
YES
HUGO, 1993
BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS
MARGINAL TO THE SOUTH
HUGO, 1993
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
MARGINAL TO THE SOUTH
HUGO, 1993
RIDGE AND VALLEY
YES
HUGO, 1993
CUMBERLAND PLATEAU
NO
HUGO, 1993
CENTRAL ARCH
YES
HUGO, 1993
GEORGIA
YES
BENJ'AMIN NORMAN, PERS. OB.
CLARKE COUNTY, GEOORGIA
YES
BENJ'AMIN NORMAN, PERS. OB.
SAM'S FARM
COMMON
BENJ'AMIN NORMAN, PERS. OB.
OLD FIELD
?
-
WETLAND
?
-
WOODS
MARGINAL
BENJ'AMIN NORMAN, PERS. OB.
1-HECTACRE PLOT
COMMON
BENJ'AMIN NORMAN, PERS. OB.