Bloomipedia
American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
Photo: C. via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized

Flower profile

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a shrub in the Lamiaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

American beautyberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 10 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

14states where USDA records it
10Bloomipedia state lists include it
68,266U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas

Quick look

Callicarpa americana, commonly called the American beautyberry, is an open-habitat, native shrub of the Southern United States which is often grown as an ornamental in gardens and yards. American beautyberries produce large clusters of purple berries, which birds and deer eat, thus distributing the seeds.

  • It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 14 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
  • In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as blue. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early summer. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 6 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 24,924 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #2 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 19,823 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #15 among the 169 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 4,292 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #1 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,805 records)
Bloom time in the 10 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
FloridaNativeMay–July24,924
TexasNativeMay–July19,823
AlabamaNativeMay–July4,292
GeorgiaNativeJune–July4,243
North CarolinaNativeJune–July3,827
South CarolinaNativeJune–July2,697
LouisianaNativeMay–June2,522
ArkansasNativefew records (44)1,826
MississippiNativeMay–July1,616
OklahomaNativefew records (3)550

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 4 of our 10 states.
See each state
Florida
Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
Texas
Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
Georgia
Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
North Carolina
Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
South Carolina
No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Louisiana
No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
Arkansas
No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
Mississippi
No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Oklahoma
No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: KY (S1), MO (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “While insipid, the berries are edible and are most often used to make jelly.” NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records American beautyberry in 14 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.

Texas counties with USDA records: Anderson, Angelina, Aransas, Austin, Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Caldwell, Cass, Chambers, Comal, Dallas, Denton, Fayette, Freestone, Galveston, Gonzales, Grayson, Gregg, Hardin, Harris, Hays, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, La Salle, Lavaca, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, Marion, McLennan, Milam, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Robertson, Rusk, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Tarrant, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Washington.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Butler, Chilton, Colbert, Dallas, Elmore, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Jackson, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marshall, Mobile, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Tuscaloosa, Wilcox.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives American beautyberry a low shade tolerance, high drought tolerance and high moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.8 to 7.0 and winter lows down to -8 °F.

Shade tolerance
Low
Drought tolerance
High
Moisture use
High
Soil textures it is adapted to
coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range
4.8 to 7.0
Minimum temperature tolerated
-8 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum)
175
Annual precipitation range
30 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth
14 inches
Salinity tolerance
None
Fertility requirement
High
Growth rate
Moderate
Lifespan
Moderate
Active growth period
Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed
Purple · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by
bare root, container, seed
Commercial availability
Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CAAM2. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 525 counties across 12 states; the most are in Florida (67), Mississippi (67), Louisiana (58).

More from the Lamiaceae family (44 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common selfheal, Ground-ivy, Red deadnettle, Henbit deadnettle, Wild bergamot, Lyreleaf sage, American germander, Common motherwort.

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Sources