American Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana)

I have had various individuals of this species, now about 6, in two different locations. Some have better form than others, some winters they die to the ground, others they seem to leaf out further up on the old wood. This makes it difficult to have in an ornamental border but also limits it growing out of bounds in a smaller garden, at least in my 6A garden. The berries are phenomenal - even our construction workers commented on them this fall! And fall color (a luminescent yellow) is exceptional, especially paired with the purple berries. This winter we watched a mockingbird consume the berries over a three day period - he'd already eaten all the berries on the possum haw, and bluebirds had finished up all the crab apples. However the same individual had also attempted to eat two faux berries on our door wreath - so I'm not sure he is indicative of his relatives behavior!

A gorgeous though coarse shrub in Florida when bearing ripe fruit, it is much smaller in Missouri. In either state it's fruit is much favored by wild turkey though not as appreciated by other birds who "save them for last." Its leaves, which in Florida grow to about the size of your palm, make an effective mosquito repellent when crushed or mashed in a little water. I suspect brewing them in water to make a "tea" and applying that may work better if the heat doesn't break down the chemical that repels insects, but have not tried that yet to compare to raw crushed leaves.

I have four of these in filtered sun to full afternoon sun. mine do not get too big, the branches are cascading , its not a dense plant thus no nesting and not much wildlife cover. but the berries are great . mine disappear in the fall and I have never seen what eats them. I hear blue birds love them.