As I was walking through the garden, I saw a true show-stopper plant. The Callicarpa dichotoma 'Alba', Beautyberry, truly took my breathe away. Come out to the Wilson Display Garden at 1806 S. Goldsboro St. for plant ideas for your home landscape.

There are several species and cultivars of Beautyberry. The Wilson Display Garden is fortunate to have two different species of Beautyberry. The first one Callicarpa dichotoma 'Alba' produces white fruits. It grows 4 to 6 feet in height and width. It grows rapidly with a bushy, rounded habit with arching branches. Leaf color is a medium green and can have a yellowish fall color. The flowers are small and rather unshowy but make rise to the beautiful showy fruit in fall and winter. Beautyberry transplants well from containers into well-drained soil. They prefer full-sun to light shade. Can be pruned after fruiting or left to grow in it's natural state. Avoid excessive fertilization.

They are relatively insect and disease free. Leaf spots, black mold, and stem disease have been reported but not are serious.

Plant Beautyberry in groups in the shrub border. They make a brilliant display of fruits in the fall and winter. The typical species color fruit is a bright purple which is unusual in woody plants.

In the garden we also have Callicarpa americana, American Beautyberry. It tends to be a more coarse plant and grows up to 10 feet in height. Lilac-violet fruits tend to take longer to mature and are only starting to turn purple whereas the white form is already dazzling.

Birds can eat the fruit so your display may be short lived. Also the white berries can turn brown in the winter if not already eaten by wildlife.

This plant is unused and should be considered for your landscape. It would make an excellent border or along a fence. The Master Gardener Volunteers answer gardening questions on Mondays and Fridays from 1 until 3 PM, call 237-0113.

Date Created: 12/13/00.

Date Updated: 10/08/2003