Are you talking about Callicarpa Americana (American BeautyBerry)? I have several together and we just had this conversation at my house. I did not prune them last year and I noticed that the best berries were on new growth. This year we have decided to experiment and prune half the plants down to the ground and leave the others unpruned for comparison. Any other opinions or experience?

I think the berries look best on arching branches - so I don't prune. (Of course the deer do.)

Here in the sandhills of SC beauty berry grows wild and around my horse pastures was a 'weed' albeit a pretty one. I wacked it down regularly and with abandon. It did not seem to care - it kept coming back anyway. Now that I don't own horses anymore and am starting an entirely new garden on an acre - I am actually thinking about planting it on purpose!

My plant still develops arching branches with it being pruned back yearly by the rabbits.

They bloom on new wood so prune in late winter-early spring. lmw

I read years ago to prune beautyberry in the fall to about 1 ft high. Mine forms a nice arching plant in the spring of about 5'. I forgot to prune the last couple of years and it's huge and crowding nearby native azaleas. Thanks for the reminder for this year!

Can these plants be purchased? I remember these from my childhood and would love to have one, love the flowing type of branches and they are beautiful used in flower arrangements. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

A friend of mine used to mow his beautyberry to the ground early each spring. It was compact and beautiful for the rest of the growing season. My plants are on a woodland edge and I let them grow however they wish. I think they look fine at eight feet tall. I think you can trim the plants to fit your space. They will look good and birds will appreciate the fruits. A local nursery should be able to get one for anyone in the southeastern U.S.

Prune to the ground as it flowers & produces berries on new wood.

Though not often I do see they being sold. Seems a few years ago White Flower was selling them mail order. Locally the Crosby Arboretum near Picayune, MS sells them in their periodic native plant sales. (White and red) However they grow wild here. You often get them as volunteers.

Find one on the roadside come fall and snatch some seeds. They're very easy to grow from seed and pretty durn fast too.

PP

You can find a number of different Callicarpa species and cultivars at various mail order nurseries. ForestFarm immediately comes to mind, but there are a number of others as well including Woodlanders, Nurseries Caroliniana, Greenwood Nurseries, etc.

All right, kiss them goodbye! I pruned to the ground today! Hoping for strong new growth and lots of berries. I have had these plants for two years so it is a good time to experiment. Thanks for the opinions.

I hope its not too late to prune beautyberry since my dog just did the job for me. I was planting a native azalea and just had my back to the dog (a lab, of course) for a few minutes. When I turned around he'd just finished the last branch. He got it about 6 inches from the ground. Just like they say to do it! You just don't know how thankful I was when I found this thread. I didn't know they could be pruned that severely.

Shelley
Aided by Jesse, the live pruning, mulching machine

I have some American Beautyberry seed I refrigerated from last fall. Email me if you want me to mail you some, SSAE, etc.

I have just purchased a beautyberry bush. It is about 2 and 1/2 feet tall. When would be the best size to start pruning with out killing it. How large does it get if you prun every year?

I have Callicarpa Americana and prune it in winter (Jan -Feb) after most of the pretty berries have frozen off or been eaten by birds. I find that the shrub gets kind of gangly if it isn't pruned. Mine stays nice and tidy with about 1/2 pruning. Dont prune too late or you may lose some of the flowers and berries as the new growth produces them.

Rob in ATL

I dug up 5 Beauty Berry bushes in the woods behind my pond. There are several more I am going to get in a day or two. They are beautiful. I do a lot of plant, seed, and bulb trading on Dave's Garden.

There are some tree forms in the Clemson Botanical gardens. They bloom prolifically and are gorgeous. I prefer them as small shrubby trees.