American beautyberry,

good food source for wildlife


American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a low-growing shrub that attracts birds this time of year with its distinctive purple berries. The shrub makes a fine garden or woods' edge plant, preferably in light shade.

The white flowers that appear in summer all along the branches provide nectar attractive to bees; the purple berries emerge in time to provide fall food for species such as catbirds, cardinals, robins, thrashers, mockingbirds and fall migrants. Beautyberries are also eaten by small mammals and deer. The berries that are not eaten persist after the leaves drop.