Pros and cons? i want some pretty filler in a corner of my back yard. there was a post that they are poisonous.
To dogs? Any info?
THX Robin
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
I found one outside of my back fence last year, and was bowled over! It's beautiful! I saw that it was growing in shade, so when I bought one a couple of months ago I planted it in my shady corner. I may have to move it. I was talking to someone the other day who said it will probably grow fine in full shade, but will be leggy. Does your corner have any sun? The PlantFiles says full sun to part shade. It also says that parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested, I don't know about dogs.
Read some of the comments in the PlantFiles (one is from someone in Magnolia):
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2657/
Looks like it's a winner!
I have one that I planted a year or so ago. It had berries this year, but my three dogs could care less about nosing around it.
Sheila
I have two beautyberries, one in almost total shade, and one that gets alot of sun. I planted both at the same time last fall. The one in the sun is probably 5 feet tall, had lots of berries, and the one in shade has not done a thing. I have seen them in the wild in shade, so don't really understand it, but moving my shaded plant. Gosh they are pretty!
jackie
I have quite a few am. beautyberries growing wild in the woods on our property and all are growing as understory shrubs... all shaded by tall oaks, cedar, etc., but they get those occasional shots of sunlight...not total dense shade. They are beautiful shrubs and as far as being poisonous, I don't know... but I DO know robins love the berries and I haven't seen a dead one (robin) yet! They also seem to propagate fairly easy from cuttings.
You can't go wrong with a Beautyberry, they are beautiful, and also native.
Josephine.
That's very good to know because I have one to plant also. I am putting off planting it because of the shade question. I have mostly shade in my front yard and I don't want to have to move it once I get it in the ground. It's hard enough to find the time to plant it the first time. And my DH doesn't need anymore excuses to call me an armadillo.LOL I'll probably take the plunge and plant it someplace this weekend.
Here are some beautyberries that we saw on a recent trip up to Broken Bow, Okla. These were growing along the roadside in a neighborhood of cabins and vacation homes. They were in dappled shade in understories. The ones that were the most lush were getting a little more sun than the others.
We were quite taken with the berries, and MUST have one now. I have another friend that has one with white berries. She was afraid that was not what she wanted, but now that it has berries, she loves it!
ps... the red Naked Ladies in the corner were quite gorgeous too!
mel
Thanks ya'll. Looks like I will be looking into getting some!
I have a beautyberry 9 feet tall on the side of the house up to the roofline (1 story house) east side of house. Wouldn't give all the tea in China for it! I have another in the shade it does good too. It's just not as old.
They grow wild here on the ranch. Most are in part shade. Those in the sun seem smaller and denser with more berries. Here in central Texas, the top dies down sometimes all the way to the ground depending on the cover it receives. They are a lovely shrub. I wonder if they would get bushier if the tips were pinched several times? I haven't been able to find the answer to that question.
I googled for poisonous plants to dogs, looked at several lists and did not find American Beautyberry on the list.
Veronica
Thanks all.. looks like we might be sharing results.... I don't have, however the bush yet..... do you buy it? seed it? There We go@
I bought mine at The Arbor Gate in Tomball.
I got one because it volunteered in a pot of daylilies I received in a plant trade from Margie. So I guess it does reseed.
It will reseed, but it can also be propagated from cuttings. They go dormant in winter so wait till spring. When new growth appears, take a few cuttings ( a few inches long...at least 2 leaf nodes below and 2 above), put 'em in some good potting soil, keep moist, yada, yada, yada...and I always say at the time of planting, "Grow and prosper"...please...
They will grow in full sun but, by the end of the summer the leaves may look a little scorched and drop early. I have found that they like morning sun and afternoon shade.