One of my favorite plants that grows wild all around my property is the American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), also known as French mulberry, beautyberry, or purple beautyberry. They produce bunches of pretty little pink flowers in the middle of summer, and those flowers then become bunches of lime green berries. As summer ends the berries grow larger, and then they begin to transition or ripen to the bright purple that they are named for. As you can see, the berries are indeed beautiful, and I love the way they contrast with the green leaves and stems. This plant grows wild in the eastern United States from Maryland to Florida and as far west as Texas. It’s also common in Mexico and several islands including Cuba and the Bahamas. Interestingly, what we see as a scrubby bush around here is actually cultivated as an ornamental in many other places.

Not only is the beautyberry pretty to look at, it’s also great for wildlife. The summer flowers attract small pollinators, while the berries attract loads of wild birds including cardinals, mockingbirds, woodpeckers, finches, and catbirds. The berries also provide food for deer and wild rabbits. People can also eat the berries, but when eaten raw they can cause stomach upset. More often they are made into jams and wine. The roots can also be dried and used to make herbal tea. And there is evidence that crushed fresh leaves can help repel mosquitos and biting midges. I have always kept it around because it’s attractive and for the wild birds. All in all, it’s really a pretty cool plant!