Purple Beautyberry

All About Purple Beautyberry:

Scientific Nomenclature: Callicarpa dichotoma

Common Names: purple beautyberry, early amethyst

Mature Height: 4–9 feet

Mature Spread: 4–6 feet

Growth Rate: Fast

Attracts Wildlife: Birds, pollinators and small mammals.

Messiness: Drops leaves in late autumn. Fruits persist until late winter, long after leaves drop, and drop by spring.

Shape: Round/Weeping

Native to Kentucky: No

Preferred Soils: Purple beautyberry prefers clay, loam or sandy soils that are well-drained. Acidic (<6.0pH) and neutral (6.0–8.0pH) soils are preferred.

Screening: Though not typically used as such, purple beautyberry can be mass planted and used as screening plants. When being planted in this way take care to leave enough space in between each plant as they'll need some room to grow together as they mature.

Drought Tolerance: Is drought tolerant.

Coniferous or Deciduous: Deciduous

Pruning: Pruning can be done in late winter or early spring for purple beautyberry. Slower growing beautyberries should be thinned each year slightly to maintain their habit and control their size. Large, fast-growing beautyberries respond well to being cut back to near the ground in late winter every few years. Doing so creates large, rounded shrubs that flower heavily and produce many purple or white fruits.

Climate Quick Facts:

After being planted as a sapling, over 20 years one purple beautyberry will:

  • Sequester ~969 pounds of CO2.
  • Reduce stormwater runoff by 135 gallons.

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