William I will take a guess, I said guess.
American beautyberry?

Here is a link that might be useful: American Beautyberry

I agree.

thanks. checked it out and the info matches the picture.
you guys have a wealth of knowledge.
william

definently American Beautyberry. Someone on the Southern Forum recommended it as a plant that the birds would leave alone so humans could appreciate it. Not at my house. As soon as the first frost takes the leaves off of it, the birds begin to work on it and the berries dissappear.

Mine too mulberry. As soon as the berries start to turn from green to purp....oops, gone already before it even got to purple. This is one of those rare shrubs that grows well in dry shade. Of course, the more sun, the more berries, but it's hard to find ornamental natives that grow under trees in dry woods.

That's where mine is under a walnut at that which some shrubs don't do well under. I never water it and have had it for 15 years. The only thing that ever bothers it is a late hard freeze such as we had last spring. Killed most of the top. I cut it way back and this year it recovered and bloomed and bore fruit but it still isn't as big as it used to be. I have been meaning to try to transplant a wild lacecap hydrangea to my place for years, which is another native that grows under trees and survives all by itself.

They're not natives but other shrubs that I have in dry shade are Kerria Japonica, forsythia and old fashioned spirea. I water for two summers after I set them out and then they are on their own. Have dozens of all of them now. A glorious sight in spring, although I imagine they would be more spectacular if they got more sun.