Culture
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Best flowering and fruiting is in full sun. Stems can become leggy in too much shade. Some tolerance for drought. Flowers bloom on new wood. Prune as needed in early spring. Most gardeners prefer to prune stems back to 6” in late winter to early spring each year. Such hard pruning tends to promote shrub compactness and good flowering. In harsh USDA Zone 5 winters, stems may die back to the ground in winter with new growth emerging from the roots in spring. Best cross-pollination and resultant fruit production occur when shrubs are planted in groups or massed.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Callicarpa dichotoma, commonly called beautyberry, is a small, rounded, deciduous shrub which typically grows 2-4' tall and is primarily included in the landscape for its showy fall display of lilac-violet fruit. Long, arching, slender branches dip downward often to touch the ground. Clusters (cymes) of small, pink to lavender flowers bloom in the leaf axils along the stems in summer. Flowers are followed by clusters of lilac-violet fruits (each 1/8" diameter) which ripen in September and put on their best show through October. Fruits persist beyond the point of leaf drop but not very far into winter. Elliptic to obovate green leaves (1-3" long) turn yellow in fall. One of the best ornamental fruiting shrubs.
Genus name comes from Greek meaning beautiful fruit.
Specific epithet means forked in pairs.
Early Amethyst’ typically grows to 3-4’ tall and 4-5’ wide. Flowers are followed by large clusters of bright, glossy, amethyst-purple fruits (each 1/8” diameter) which ripen in late summer and put on their best show through October. Fruits ripen earlier on this cultivar than with species plants, hence the cultivar name. Fruits persist beyond the point of leaf drop but not very far into winter. This cultivar is a prolific seeder and can be somewhat weedy in the landscape.
Problems
Winter dieback can occur in the northern parts of its growing range, but will not affect fruiting. Some susceptibility to leaf spot, stem diseases and black mold.
Uses
Group or mass. Borders, bird gardens. Underplanting for open woodland areas. For an interesting fall berry display, plant in combination with other fall berry-producing shrubs such as Ilex verticillata (red berries) and Pyracantha (orange berries).