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| American Beautyberry | ||||||||||||
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Beauty berry Hemingway, South Carolina | ||||||||||||
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| Callicarpa americana |
American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana is a deciduous shrub in the plant family Verbenaceae with bright purple berries growing in clusters from small stalks along the branches.
The berries last into winter and are an important survival food for birds and other animals, though they will not eat them until other sources are depleted. The berries are highly astringent, and considered unfit for human use. The bush typically can reach 4’ (122cm) in height.
Beautyberry is native to the southeastern United States.