How to Grow and Care for American Beautyberry Shrubs | Gardener's Path

How can you not immediately fall in love with a plant called “American beautyberry”? It just makes the heart swell. Here, take a Kleenex.

The emotive lexicon is well deserved.

This large, deciduous shrub, native to the southeastern United States, is truly beautiful.

With long, arching branches bearing large, light green leaves, and clusters of little flowers that morph into green and then brilliant purple berries containing three to four seeds each.

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The juicy berries are a source of food for more than 40 species of songbird, including the American robin, mockingbirds, woodpeckers and finches.

Armadillos, foxes, opossum, squirrels, and raccoons like the berries, too. When desperately hungry, deer will eat the leaves of the plant and they’ll eat the berries after they’ve dropped.

Humans can eat the berries, too; they’re said to have a medicinal flavor when eaten raw.

They can also be made into jam.  Some people have reported upset stomach after eating the berries, however, so it might be best to try just a few before eating a big ol’ slice of beautyberry pie.

If animals and people don’t eat them all, the berries will persist well into winter, even after the leaves have all fallen.

American beautyberry is appreciated for its fall interest – bright yellow leaves and, of course, the lovely bb-sized purple berries.

Native American tribes used the roots, leaves, and branches to treat malarial fevers and rheumatism. The roots were used to treat dizziness, stomachaches and dysentery.

Roots and berries were boiled and made into a drink