 Photo from Fort Bend County Master Gardeners, Texas Native Demonstration Garden |
American beautyberry grows in rich woods and thickets in East Texas, especially in the coastal plain pinelands. It has small, unspectacular greenish-white flowers in early summer, but they are followed by clusters of beautiful purple berries clinging to the branches in late summer. American beautyberry is best suited to semi-shaded sites with some moisture. It can tolerate full sun if given supplemental watering, and can tolerate some drought, but does not do well on thin, rocky soils. Otherwise it is remarkably tolerant of various soils and habitats. It has long, arching branches, and if they are pruned by half in the winter it will be more compact. C. americana var. lactea is a white-berried variety that will come true from seed. The seeds are a favorite of many species of birds and other wildlife, so much so that they can disappear in a matter of days.
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