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American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) - North American native shrub with beautiful purple berry-like fruits which ripen in September through October.
"The
raw berries, while palatably sweet, are suitable for human consumption
only in small amounts, because they are astringent; they are also used
in jellies. The roots are used to make herbal tea. As a folk remedy it
has been
claimed that "fresh, crushed leaves of American beautyberry, Callicarpa
americana . . . helped keep biting insects away from animals such as
horses and mules."A chemical compound isolated from the plant,
callicarpenal, was effective as a mosquito repellent in a laboratory
experiment using a simulated skin model." (from Wikipedia). White Beautyberry 'Albifuctus' - white berries instead of typical purple. This shrub has berries about twice the size of the purple ones. |
