Beautyberry

You have to appreciate it when you see a nice winter garden here in Puddletown.  I've been taking advantage of our sunny weather this week by going for walks to check out various neighbors' yards and see what treasures I can find. One of the more unusual looking winter interest plants I have seen is Beautyberry.  Beautyberry is an arching shrub that is covered with clusters of purple fruit.  The cool thing about Beautyberry is that long after it has lost it's leaves, those crazy violet berries are still covering the shrub.  It looks great combined with the contrasting foliage of yellow or chartreuse evergreen shrubs.

Here's the dirt on Beautyberry:

Botanical name:  Callicarpa americana

Origin:  Eastern United States

Plant type:  Deciduous Shrub

Hardiness:  USDA Zones 6-10; Sunset 3-9, 14-24

Size:   6' tall, 5' wide.

Light Requirements: Full Sun or Light Shade
Maintenance:  Low. 

Berries: Purple color - NOT edible.