Monday, September 29, 2008

American Beautyberry (Callicarpa Americana)

American Beautyberry is currently producing berries all across the woodlands of Itawamba County. A sure sign of autumn, this plant produces large clusters of purple berries that birds and deer eat during the winter months. It has been said the leaves of this plant repel insects. The native range of this plant is from Maryland to Florida and west to Texas and Arkansas. It is also a native to Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas and Cuba.
 

2 comments:

Moultrie Creek said...

I'm also a beautyberry fan - with lots of inspiration in my neighborhood. Along with goldenrod, it's one of the few signs of fall we'll see for a while. Most of our "color" doesn't show up until mid-November.

5 gates said...

I hope I didn't post twice!! We lived in a Live Oak woods in Brooks Co, GA where beautyberry really showed out in fall--looked like a weed the rest of the year! Now that we're back in town, I miss them almost as much as the majestic Live Oaks!