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Callicarpa bodinieri is often confused with:
Callicarpa americana Callicarpa americana in summer in Moore County
Native alternative(s) for Callicarpa bodinieri:
Callicarpa americana Callicarpa americana in summer in Moore County
Viburnum dentatum Viburnum dentatum
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Callicarpa dichotoma Callicarpa dichotoma
Callicarpa japonica callicarpa japonica
Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea' Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea'

Bodinier Beautyberry Callicarpa bodinieri

Other Common Name(s):

Previously known as:

  • Calliarpa bodinieri var. giraldii
Phonetic Spelling
kal-ee-KAR-puh boh-din-ee-ER-ee
Description

Bodinier's beautyberry is an upright deciduous shrub in the Lamiaceae (mint) family that produces showy purple fruit in the fall.  It is a native of Southern China and Indochina.  The genus, Callicarpa, is Greek and means beautiful fruit. The species name, bodinieri, is named after Emile Maire Bodinier. She was a French missionary and botanist in China in the 19th century,

The shrub may grow from 6 to 10 feet in height and has slender upright branches. The leaves are green, and in the fall the leaves turn a golden yellow. Clusters of lilac-colored flowers blossom from June to August on the new growth of the shrub. Clusters of violet-purple berries appear afterward and form a whorl around the stem. They ripen by September and will remain on the shrub after the leaves have dropped. They provide a showy fall display until early winter.

Bodinier's beautyberry is tolerant of the cold and it prefers well-drained soil as well as full sun to improve fruit production. The shrub is best planted in small groupings to ensure better pollination. The shrub attracts bees, butterflies, and birds. The fruits are bitter, and wildlife tends to avoid them unless all other food sources have been depleted. Bodinier's beautyberry is best pruned in late winter or early spring to remove the oldest stems. The flowers and fruit appear on the new growth of the shrub.

"Profusion' is the most common cultivar of Callicarpa bodinier var. giraldii and won the Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society. It can grow to 10 feet in height and has pale pink flowers and dark violet fruits. The leaves emerge bronze in the spring, dark green in the summer, and golden purple in the fall. This cultivar produces more fruit than other species.

This shrub is best suited for informal gardens, meadows, mass plantings, and woodlands. The beautiful colorful fruits add interest to the landscape in the fall.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  The shrub is generally disease and pest free, but it can be susceptible to leaf spot, stem disease, and black mold.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Profusion'
    bronze new growth, pale pink flowers, dark violet fruit
'Profusion'
Tags:
#cultivars#easy to grow#deciduous shrub#low maintenance#spring flowers#fall interest#showy fruits#flowering shrub#deer resistant#pollinator plant#purple fruits#bird friendly#butterfly friendly#fruits early fall#bee friendly#winter fruits#fruits late fall#fruits mid-fall#cpp
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Profusion'
    bronze new growth, pale pink flowers, dark violet fruit
'Profusion'
Tags:
#cultivars#easy to grow#deciduous shrub#low maintenance#spring flowers#fall interest#showy fruits#flowering shrub#deer resistant#pollinator plant#purple fruits#bird friendly#butterfly friendly#fruits early fall#bee friendly#winter fruits#fruits late fall#fruits mid-fall#cpp
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Callicarpa
    Species:
    bodinieri
    Family:
    Lamiaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Woody
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Stem Cutting
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Southern China to Indo-China
    Distribution:
    Cambodia, China Southcentral, China Southeast, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam
    Wildlife Value:
    Attracts bees, butterflies, and birds and seldom damaged by deer.
    Play Value:
    Attracts Pollinators
    Wildlife Food Source
    Edibility:
    Not poisonous but bitter taste
    Dimensions:
    Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Perennial
    Shrub
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Open
    Rounded
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Available Space To Plant:
    6-feet-12 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Blue
    Purple/Lavender
    Fruit Value To Gardener:
    Long-lasting
    Showy
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Type:
    Berry
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Width:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    The fruits are a cluster of glossy purple berries. Each berry is about 1/8 -1/6 inches in diameter. They ripen in September and are more prominent after the leaves drop from the shrub. The berries remain on the shrub until late fall and early winter. The 'Profusion' cultivar's berries are a large cluster of 30-40 violet colored berries.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Blue
    Pink
    Purple/Lavender
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Cyme
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Summer
    Flower Size:
    1-3 inches
    Flower Description:
    The flowers are a cluster of lilac-colored blooms about 1.5 inched in diameter. They appear on the leaf axils in June through August, blooming on the new growth of the shrub. The 'Profusion' cultivar's flowers are pale pink blooms.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Green
    Purple/Lavender
    Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
    Purple/Lavender
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Opposite
    Leaf Shape:
    Elliptical
    Ovate
    Leaf Margin:
    Serrate
    Hairs Present:
    Yes
    Leaf Length:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    The leaves are green, simple, and elliptic to ovate in shape. They are pubescent with pointed tips and serrated margins. They turn golden yellow in the fall. The 'Profusion' cultivar's leaves emerge bronze in the spring, turn dark green in the summer, and golden purple in the fall.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Form:
    Straight
    Stem Surface:
    Hairy (pubescent)
    Stem Description:
    The stems are slender, arching, and downy covered.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Meadow
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Cottage Garden
    Cutting Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Mass Planting
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Butterflies
    Pollinators
    Songbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer