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Native Plant Society of Texas

American Beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Other common name(s):

French Mulberry

Family:

Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands
Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Shrub

Height

4
to
6
ft.

Spread

4
to
6
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Dry, Loam, Moist, Sand, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low, Medium

Native Habitat

Riparian, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Pink, White

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Berry, Forage, Nectar

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Browsers, Butterflies, Deer, Small Mammals

Maintenance

Great understory shrub. Easily propagated and requires little maintenance. Needs moisture and deep soil. Give lots of room for its long arching stems. Prune only errant branches and to control size if space is an issue. The shrub may temporarily defoliate and drop fruit during periods of prolonged summer drought. Native habitat: woods, moist thickets, wet slopes, low rich bottomlands, and at the edges of swamps in the Piney Woods, moist woods.

Description

Blooms May-July. Forms long, graceful, arching stems. Oval leaves are coarsely toothed. Flowers are white to pink, arranged in clusters. Striking iridescent-purple fruit (sometimes white) in fall and winter. Foliage is a favorite of white-tailed deer.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Callicarpa americana var. lactea

References

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed No Treatment Sowing the cleaned seeds lightly in a greenhouse kept just above 40 degrees in November. They will germinate in January and February, and are ready to plant outside under shade by April. Each berry contains at least 2 to 3 seeds that are 1/16 inch long. To propagate by seed, plant the whole berry after crushing it between your fingers to expose the seeds, or process the berries to separate the seeds from the fruit. Berries can be placed in a blender with water. After mixing, allow the liquid to sit. Viable seeds will sink to the bottom, and everything else can be skimmed off the top and blended again. Do this until the seeds are adequately separated. Drain the seeds and allow them to dry before storing. 1) How To Grow Native Plants of Texas And The Southwest by Jill Nokes 2) https://www.epicgardening.com/american-beautyberry/#:~:text=Propagating%20From%20Cuttings,to%204%20weeks%20to%20root. 3) https://www.fnps.org/assets/pdf/pubs/callicarpa_americana_beautyberry.pdf
Seed Stratification Cold stratification for 1 month 1) How To Grow Native Plants of Texas And The Southwest by Jill Nokes 2) https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_caam2.pdf
Softwood Cutting Softwood tip cuttings should be taken from "early May through June, just after the first flush of growth but before the plant has flowered." The cuttings should be 4 to 5 inches long with the leaves from the bottom half removed. Treat the cuttings with rooting hormone (5,000 ppm) and place gently in your rooting material. Roots should begin to grow within 1 to 2 weeks. 1) How To Grow Native Plants of Texas And The Southwest by Jill Nokes 2) https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_caam2.pdf 3) https://theplantnative.com/plant/american-beautyberry/#:~:text=Can%20I%20grow%20American%20Beautyberry%20by%20cuttings?,your%20garden%202%20months%20later! 4) https://www.epicgardening.com/american-beautyberry/#:~:text=Propagating%20From%20Cuttings,to%204%20weeks%20to%20root.
Hardwood Cutting Hardwood cuttings should be 5 to 8 inches long, treated with rooting hormone (10,000 ppm), and placed under intermittent mist. While we don't think that putting cuttings directly in the ground will work very well, you may successfully separate large clumps of mature plants in the winter. 1) How To Grow Native Plants of Texas And The Southwest by Jill Nokes 2) https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_caam2.pdf 3) https://theplantnative.com/plant/american-beautyberry/#:~:text=Can%20I%20grow%20American%20Beautyberry%20by%20cuttings?,your%20garden%202%20months%20later! 4) https://www.epicgardening.com/american-beautyberry/#:~:text=Propagating%20From%20Cuttings,to%204%20weeks%20to%20root.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason