Years ago I took a few horticultural classes at the local community college. Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’, commonly known as beautyberry, was one of the many plants I was introduced to then. The instructor stressed that these plants like to be close to another one of its kind. So I bought two of them and planted them in a large hole. It took a few years for them to really start growing and then produce those psychedelic bright purple berries. It’s a fantastic shrub for any garden! Undemanding and problem free!
The flowers attract all kinds of pollinators in spring.
By summer tiny green berries with a purple tint grow in whorls all along the stems.
Early autumn the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
Each beautyberry turns a darker purple.
By then, word has gotten around in the woods! Squirrels love the berries, as do robins, chickadees, juncos, towhees and the varied thrushes. Once the berries are discovered, it won’t take long for this deciduous shrub to be left bare naked .
Are there any color spots in your winter garden?
in cahoots with muddy boots 
Wow, such amazing colors. Are they edible Sabine?
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Good morning Arlene! I read up on them and found some articles which state that they taste bitter to humans and aren’t poisonous. There even was a recipe for a beautyberry jelly! Perhaps I’ll try it some year, but the critters enjoy them so much that I don’t want to pick the berries for us. 😉
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Maybe you could also use them as table decorations this season along with other greens.
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Yes, I should put a few branches in a vase! Thanks for the tip! 😊
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these are truly beautiful, you are right. nothing of color at all in my garden right now –
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Yes they are the bright spot in the garden until every last berry is nibbled off the branches!
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Well, I’d grow them just to feed the birds and squirrels. Love seeing that squirrel enjoy his meal. Remind me to ask you about that first and last photo in the round. Till later. 🙂
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If you ever want a slip let me know. They aren’t difficult to propagate. I’ll try to remember to tell you about the pictures. 🙋
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Beautiful hues! Amazing next to the squirrel! 🙂
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Yes those two go well together! 😊
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They’re a glorious colour. I’ve never seen them in this country. It’s great that there’s something for the animals to eat at this time of the year.
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If I ever move I’ll have to take clippings along!
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These are just amazing Sabine and the range of purple colors you have captured! And, of course the critters would love them and do they have berry-stained fur and feathers after enjoying the berries?
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Linda, those shrubs would do well in your area too I believe. You might be able to attract a resident squirrel!
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I am going to jot down the name then Sabine – I was thinking they were only favorable to your part of the U.S., much warmer than here. I’d like attracting a few more birds and squirrels and they would lend color to the yard, something it needs since I only really have roses now, as I lost so many plants after the back-to-back Polar Vortexes.
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I checked the USDA zone for the Callicarpa. It’s 5 – 8. I think it would work. Check with a good nursery near you. They’d know. I might start a couple more next spring. Today a huge flock of robins came through and munched away. 😊
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OK, we do have a good nursery Sabine – Ray Hunter’s and I will ask them next Spring. I lost many bushes, even some hardy butterfly bushes, during the Polar Vortexes but those were brutal Winters. I thought I lost the rosebushes – they looked dead as a door nail, but I cut them to the ground and they rallied back. Same with a holly bush – it looks better now that it originally did and it was in the front yard and I cut it to about one foot off the ground – that was because I couldn’t pull out the stump and was going to need the handyman to do it. On a lark, I put some Hollytone and Miracid on it – next thing I knew it had new growth! Thank you for this suggestion – yours was so colorful. The Robins had a nice lunch today.
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Good luck with checking on the plants next spring. ‘Im crossing my fingers the beautyberries can grow where you are.
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Me too Sabine – they sure were beautiful and I’m imagining what beautiful birds it will draw. Years ago I had a butterfly garden and enjoyed it – I lost many of my plants during the Polar Vortex so I no longer have the butterfly garden.
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Those are gorgeous, Sabine! Currently the interest in my developing garden is in the form of assorted grasses and red-twig dogwood. Lovely, but not the color burst of your beauty berries!
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Thanks Missy! Those beauty berries are gorgeous. I love red-twig dogwood! I don’t know why I never planted any!? There are so many plants …. and only so much space!!
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That’s for sure!
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I love looking through my old emails and finding a blog I’ve missed. A nugget of gold in a pile of email detritus. I love the globe effect. Just Super!
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Thanks Christine! I’m glad you are enjoying the posts! 😊
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Just magical!!!
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Thanks! The berries have all been eaten by now.
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That squirrel looked pretty pleased so I’m not surprised! 😁
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