Beautyberry is a robust and fast-growing native shrub that produces an amazing display of bright magenta berries in the fall.

Berries attract birds
Drought tolerant
Easy to grow

Details

5 to 8 ft. tall and wide - 4 to 6 ft. if cut back each spring
Leaves turn yellow and drop in the fall
Hardy in USDA hardiness zones 7, 8, 9, and 10

A 20-second video showing American Beautyberry in its full glory during late summer.

Flowering period

The small pink flowers open mid-summer while the berries ripen and turn purple in mid-September in central North Carolina.

How to grow

Beautyberry is adaptable, quick to establish, and drought tolerant. Grow in full sun to part shade – will grow in shade, but flower and berry production will be sparse. The secret to growing beautyberry is planting in moist, but well-drained soil as plants suffer when exposed to soil that stays too wet.

American beautyberry is one of the latest native shrubs to leaf out in the spring. This is because the new leaves are sensitive to frost and have evolved to wait until the danger of frost has passed before they start growing.

Care and maintenance

For a more compact plant and fuller display of berries, cut stems to 1 ft. above ground level before growth starts in spring.

Where to plant

At the back of flower beds, along woodland edges, and at property lines and driveways.

When to plant

From North Carolina south, beautyberry can be planted anytime the ground isn’t frozen. For adventurous gardeners further north, plant in the spring through mid-summer to get plants well-established before winter.

Spacing

If planting in a group, space plants 5 to 7 ft. apart.

When will my beautyberry produce fruit?

Plants planted in the spring should flower and produce berries during their first year in the ground. Beautyberry is self-fertile and only one plant is needed to produce fruit.

Native habitat and range

Grows on the edge of woodlands, usually in sandy soils from Virginia to Florida.

Source and origin

Plants are grown from seeds collected along the edge of a woodland in Moore County, North Carolina.

Comments

The leaves were once used in animal bedding to repel insects, and current research is investigating their use as a mosquito repellent. The berries can be eaten, but they don't taste good.

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