Approaching winter, it is hard to find plants that are beautiful and blooming in your garden. If you live in zone 5-9, I would suggest planting an “Early Amethyst” Beautyberry, Callicarpa bodnieri giraldii. It is a stunning deciduous shrub, that blooms tiny pink flowers in the summer, and beautiful tight clusters of violet fruit along it’s arching branches in the winter.
“Early Amethyst” Beautyberry usually grows in an upright fashion to 3-4′, but can reach 6′ high and 6′ wide. It is a very graceful willowy plant which seems to dance in the light, and when coaxed by a subtle breeze. It prefers sun or light shade with regular watering. It’s bloom and fruit occur in the current season’s growth, so best to prune back by about 1/3 in late winter. It’s violet-colored berries which appear in fall and winter can benefit from fertilizing this shrub monthly, during the spring and summer.
As seen in this photo, I have just placed fresh mulch down around the base of my “Early Amethyst” Beautyberry, but I intend to plant a companion ground cover or low flowering perennial to add to it’s drama. “Early Amethyst” Beautyberry is excellent for cutting and in flower arrangements.
Callicarpa bodnieri, Beautyberry is a native of western and central China. The species is named after Emile Marie Bodinier (1842-1901), a French missionary in China who was first to collect this shrub for introduction to Europe.
In your quest for more information on this stunning shrub, you might notice there are other species listed, American, Purple, and Japanese which have slightly different characteristics and optimal growing zones.
Initially, I was unfamiliar with the “Early Amethyst” Beautyberry and bought only one shrub, now I wish I had bought several. It is a very easy shrub to care for and it is so stunning, it always catches my eye when I am in my garden. My local source, Tom Piergrossi, said he might have more “Early Amethyst” Beautyberry available this coming spring 2009, www.tompiergrossi.con
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Salut Bonnie! I was just at the Sainte Cécile farmer’s market, on Saturday, discovering this very plant! I stood there debating, along with the mayor’s wife (who had just walked by–the unusual violet berries catching her eye)! Finally (stupidly), I walked on. Once home I tried to remember the name of the plant, which the stand-owner called “callicarpa” (only it was you post that brought the word back to this brain). Merci. The man wanted twenty euros for a very big plant, covered completely with the beautiful berries!
…needless to say–I’ll be back at the market come Saturday!
Thank you for an excellent introduction to Early Amethyst Beautyberry. And the French history behind it “seals the deal” for this newbie gardener.
PS: newbie gardener question. Part of the reason I hesitated in buying the plant was due to indecision about where to put it. Is it easily uprootable, that is: can I move it until I find just the right place?
Are the berries eatible–I have grandchildern that love and eat my garden—also can I make more plants out of the one I just purchased? Thank you
Cathi, they are edible, but taste mealy. I would not encourage your grandchildren to each them however. I have read you can propagate them from cuttings but have not personally tried it. Isn’t it a beautiful shrub. Thanks for sharing… VintageGardenGal