Beautyberry ....a fall surprise

 Last weekend I was visiting my daughter in Athens Georgia. We decided to take my adorable grand baby Tallulah for a walk along our favorite path. We love to walk in the Serenity Gardens connected with the hospital.  Much to my delight all alone the pathway were rows of my favorite fall blooming berries.

They are on the Beautyberry Bush (Callicarpa americana).  Beautyberry is a deciduous shrub. It is a fast growing shrub that can get up to 4 to 8 feet tall and wide. This is a native shrub so it needs to be planted in a natural woodland situation.

I love them planted as an informal hedge along the edge of a property. That is the way the Serenity Gardens in Athens used them  The bloom is not the show, it is the cluster of bright lavender- pink, lilac looking clusters that arrive this time of year.

The seeds and berries are an important food source for the Northern Bobwhite, while the white tailed deer enjoy munching on the foliage.  Since the group using the berries as a food source is not large, the berries then to hang on late into the fall contrasting nicely with the foliage that turns an awesome yellow.

I hope you will give these beauties a try, they add so much interest and color.