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Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis is often confused with:
Callicarpa dichotoma Callicarpa dichotoma
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Rhus typhina Rhus typhina
Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea' Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea'
Vitis rotundifolia Muscadine

Purple Beauty-berry Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis

Other Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
kal-ee-KAR-pah dy-KOH-toh-mah kwang-tung-EN-sis
Description

Beautyberry, a fast-growing perennial, is a lovely ornamental shrub in mass plantings, borders and even container plantings with its display of summer flowers and fall berries.  Pearl GlamTM lives up to its trade name, putting on a spectacular show in the fall with glamorous bright violet pearls adorning dark purple foliage. A great Halloween plant!  Developed at our own NCSU Mountain Crop Improvement Lab, in conjunction with Spring Meadow Nursery, Pearl Glam is an advanced hybrid between Callicarpa dichotoma and C. kwangtungensis, with an upright form, purple-tinged foliage and an early, prolific fruiting display.  The seeds are not fertile so no new plants will germinate in your yard.  This shrub can be pruned back to 6” in early spring to promote compactness and encourage new wood, which supports greater blooming.  Shrubs can become leggy in too much shade.

Callicarpa comes from the Greek meaning “beautiful fruit”

Seasons of Interest:

    Foliage: Spring-Fall   Bloom:  Summer   Fruit: Fall-Winter, Berry

Insects, Diseases and Other Problems:  Relatively insect and disease free. Some of the diseases that affect Callicarpa include leaf spot (Atractilina callicarpae) and black mold (Meliola cookeana). 

Cultivars / Varieties:
  • Pearl Glam™
    extravagant purple fruit and slightly darker purple foliage
  • Purple Pearls
    extravagant purple fruit and purple foliage,distinctive pink flower
Tags:
#bees#showy berries#wildlife plant#purple leaves#nectar plant#winter interest#fall interest#food source#halloween#mci#fall fruits#bird friendly
 
Pearl Glam™ beautyberry
Upright stems
Pearl Glam™ beautyberry
Purple leaves and fruit
Pearl Glam™ beautyberry
Close up of fruit
Pearl Glam™ beautyberry
Form
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • Pearl Glam™
    extravagant purple fruit and slightly darker purple foliage
  • Purple Pearls
    extravagant purple fruit and purple foliage,distinctive pink flower
Tags:
#bees#showy berries#wildlife plant#purple leaves#nectar plant#winter interest#fall interest#food source#halloween#mci#fall fruits#bird friendly
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Callicarpa
    Species:
    dichotoma × kwangtungensis
    Family:
    Lamiaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    Native American tribes used the native plant’s (Callicarpa americana) roots, leaves and branches for medicinal purposes. In the early 1900’s, farmers would crush the native plant’s leaves and place them under the harnesses of horses and mules, or rub the leaves on their arms, to repel mosquitoes and biting insects. Studies have shown that two compounds – callicarpenal and intermedeol – are responsible for the repellant properties.
    Life Cycle:
    Woody
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Stem Cutting
    Wildlife Value:
    Beautyberries are a wonderful plant for wildlife.  In the spring, the white flowers attract bees and other insects. The purple berries have a high moisture content and are a food source for more than 40 species of birds.
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    This plant is seldom damaged by deer.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Shrub
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Rounded
    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 Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Value To Gardener:
    Long-lasting
    Showy
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Winter
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    Very showy lilac-violet fruit 1/8" diameter ripen in September and are showy through fall leaf drop and partially into winter
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Pink
    Purple/Lavender
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Cyme
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Description:
    Clusers of small pink to lavender cymes form in the leaf axils in the summer
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Purple/Lavender
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Opposite
    Leaf Shape:
    Elliptical
    Oblong
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Elliptic to oblong 1-3 inch leaves purple-green with dark purple veins.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Walkways
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Children's Garden
    Winter Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Hedge
    Mass Planting
    Attracts:
    Songbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer