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Lamiaceae Taxonomy Browser
Callicarpa americana L.
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This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):
K090 Live oak - sea oats
K091 Cypress savanna
K100 Oak - hickory forest
K111 Oak - hickory - pine forest
K112 Southern mixed forest
K113 Southern floodplain forest
K114 Pocosin
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Callicarpa+americana |
Common overstory associates of American beautyberry include sweetgum
(Liquidambar styraciflua), sweetbay (Persea borbonia), flowering dogwood
(Cornus florida), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora), hickory
(Carya spp.), and oak (Quercus spp.). Understory associates include
sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), southern bayberry (Myrica
cerifera), hurrahbush (Lyonia lucida), greenbrier (Smilax spp.), and
fetterbush (Leucothoe racemosa) [18,24,33,34].
Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).
These shrubs may be propagated by softwood cuttings, but they are primarily grown from seed. The seeds do not require pretreatment for germination. The many volunteers that this plant produces are very hearty and can be dug up and transplanted elsewhere in a more desirable location. The plants do well in partial shade and sunny locations in well-drained soils. The shrubs have a denser habit and produce more fruit in sunny locations.
These plant materials are somewhat available from commercial sources. The white-fruited C. Americana var. lacteal is available from specialty nurseries.
Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone book under ”United States Government”. The Natural Resources Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading “Department of Agriculture.”
Severe fires can kill American beautyberry by completely removing soil
organic layers and charring the roots [11]. Low-severity fires only
top-kill plants.
This plant can produce abundant volunteers from the many seeds that drop to the soil. The flowers are produced on new growth, so prune plants after the fruits are gone to increase the next year’s growth and berry production. The plants can take a hard pruning and may be pruned to the ground level in the winter if desired.