American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
- Native to:
- Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, United States
Eric Hunt
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Lamiaceae
- Genus:
- Callicarpa
- Species:
- Callicarpa americana
- USDA Symbol:
- CAAM2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub
- Height:
- 240 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- pink, lavender
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Rustic Sphinx (Manduca rustica)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Two-spotted Longhorn (Melissodes bimaculatus), ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) Moths:Rustic Sphinx (Manduca rustica)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, butterflies, bees
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- yellow
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Prefers organic matter-rich soils in native habitats
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–90 days
- Notes:
- Seeds have embryo dormancy requiring cold stratification. Fresh seeds germinate better than stored seeds. Some growers report improved germination with warm followed by cold treatment.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds are cold stratified for 60 days
Establishment: The plant is widely distributed in Louisiana and found within temperate deciduous forests of North America. No germination percentage or specific temperature for germination is provided in the protocols.
Source: npn.rngr.net