Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) can make a stunning addition to your home landscape and is pictured here in the yard of Roger and Martha Willoughby (Inaugural class) in mid-Septemeber.
A member of the Verbenaceae (verbena) family, beautyberry has fabulous, long-lasting fruits, few pests, and is not fussy about sun or shade. It does grow to be more than 5′ tall, especially in shady conditions where it reaches for the sun. Beautyberry can be cut back to the ground in the late winter, after all of the berries are gone, to control its size.
Martha is treasurer of the Eugenia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, which serves Indian River County, and has incorporated many native plants in her home landscape, including lots of beautyberry. Too often beautyberry is overlooked as a possible landscape plant.
Enjoy the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area 