Educational Story
The American Beauty Berry, Callicarpa americana, is a perennial shrub that produces gorgeous, bright and showy purple berries that grow in clusters at each leaf node, like a shish-kabob, along the end of each stem. These berries are an important food source for many native Florida song birds and mammals. Human can also eat the berries, by using them in pies or jams. The leaves of this plant produce a chemical that is a natural repellent to mosquitoes. Cowboys and farmers used to snap off a branch of this plant and place it in their horse’s harness to ward off mosquito swarms.
3D AR & VR Model
Gardening Facts
| Scientific Name: | Callicarpa americana |
| Common Name: | American Beauty Berry or French Mulberry |
| Description of facts and concepts: | A shrub, with purple berries |
| Seed or division information: | Seed and root cuttings |
| Date of flower’s bloom (Month and week): | Spring, summer, fall |
| Ecoregion: | Woods and thickets |
| Color of Flower: | Pink/ Purple |
| Height: | 1 to 6 feet tall |
| Spread: | 4 to 8 feet wide |
| Family: | Verbenaceae (Vervain) |
| Soil Type: Base to Acidic | Acid-based |
| Soil: Dry to Wet | Moist, rich soils to dry, sandy soils |
| Light: Sun to Shade | Part shade to full sun |
| Zone | 8A-11B |