Plant of the Week: American Beautyberry (Callicarpa Americana)

Fall is the harvest season, so it is not surprising many native shrubs take advantage of the season to ripen their own fruit before winter arrives. One of these, American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), is so stunningly beautiful in the fall it is hard to overlook.

American beautyberry, also widely known as French mulberry, even though it is neither French nor a mulberry, produces luminescent purple clusters of fruit that are almost without equal in the garden. It is an open, sprawling native deciduous shrub growing 6 to 8 feet tall and wide with a natural range from Virginia to East Texas. This is the only species of the 130 that have been described native to the continental United States. It is a member of the verbena family.

Beautyberry is a coarse shrub with slender, arching stems bearing 4-to 6-inch long opposite leaves that have the texture and general look of red mulberry, Morus rubra. In midsummer clusters of tiny lavender-pink flowers with protruding stamens are produced at the leaf axils amongst the foliage on new growth. Flowers, while not especially showy, are perfect with male and female parts. Cross-pollination often provides for better fruit set come autumn.

In the fall, beginning about the first of October and lasting until Thanksgiving, the bb-sized berries turn shades of purple and lavender. A white-fruited form is also common in the wild and in commerce. The clusters of berries are to an inch-and-half across.

Beautyberry is found growing wild along roadways and in thickets under pine trees in areas where winter temperatures do not drop below 10 degrees F. Its berries are used by at least 10 species of songbirds and the foliage is a favorite browse for deer. Crushed leaves can be used as a deterrent for mosquitoes and ticks should you find yourself under attack in the woods.

In gardens American beautyberry can be grown in zone 6 but then it is best treated as an herbaceous perennial and cut to the ground each spring. Because it fruits on new growth, cutting the plant to the ground every winter is a good idea because it gives the often-rangy plant a better landscape appearance. C. dichotoma, purple beautyberry, is a Japanese species that grows 3 feet tall and wide and is cold hardy to zone 5.

American beautyberry grows in a wide range of soils but is best in sandy loam soils that don’t get too dry from midsummer onwards as the fruit develop. It will flower and fruit in medium to heavy shade but fruit load and visual impact is better if plants get at least some direct sunlight during the day. It is ideally suited for massing in the wild garden or for use at the edge of the woodland garden. Single plants can be added to the back of an herbaceous border.

For more information about horticulture or to see other Plant of the Week columns, visit Extension's Web site, http://www.uaex.edu/ or contact your county extension agent. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.

Insects heading inside? Don’t make bug spray the first move

Bug spray shouldn't be the automatic first response when insects seek the warmth of your home as cooler temperatures dominate outdoors, says Van Banks, Yell County extension agent for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

“It can be annoying when beetles, box elder bugs, crickets, stinkbugs, spiders or any of the various other million or so different insect pests invade your home this time of year in an attempt to escape the cold weather outside,” he said. “The first thing most people think of when trying to prevent an insect problem is, ‘What insecticide do I spray?’”

“There are other things that should be done first that will help prevent the pest problems and may even eliminate the need for an insecticide application,” he said.

Insect proofing your home is the best way to prevent unwanted pest invasions this time of year. There are some pest-proofing steps to follow to stop these invaders. First, try to eliminate entrances used by pests.

Other actions to consider are:

• Inspect and repair all caulking
• Inspect and repair all weather stripping
• Repair all screens
• Repair loose siding; and
• Use residual insecticides around the foundation of the home.
  

Try to eliminate areas that can harbor insects inside the home – those “places where insects can rest and hang out or find food and moisture,” Banks said.

These actions include:

• Seal indoor cracks and crevices
• Eliminate leaks and moisture
• Store food properly; and
• Keep lids on garbage cans

If the listed maintenance and sanitation guidelines are carried out, pests will be discouraged or prevented from invading in the first place.

However, if nuisance pests do get inside in large numbers, “they can be vacuumed up and the vacuum cleaner bag can be discarded outside,” he said. “You can also line the vacuum cleaner hose with a stocking, and insects will be conveniently bagged.”

Banks said that when insects are present in high numbers, no insecticide is recommended.

“Many insects will die in inaccessible places, making clean up impossible, and these dead insects will serve as a food source for other pest insects like carpet beetles or other beetles,” he said.
If insects are present in low numbers, sweep them into a dustpan and remove by hand.

Homeowners may also wish to use over-the-counter residual insecticides labeled for crevice and/or surface treatment.

A list of insecticides for homeowner use can be found on our Homeowner Insecticide Product List and insecticides listed by insect can be found on the Household and Structural Pest Control list.

The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and has an office in every county in Arkansas. Visit our website at www.uaex.edu for more information.