Beauty Berry, Callicarpa Americana, 25 dried beries, ea w/ 2-4 seeds
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana). NEW CROP, FALL 2023! Approximately 25 dried berries, each with 2-4 seeds These do not require stratification. You can fall plant in the ground or in containers or save in a cool, dark place until spring. The entire berries can be planted, or seeds can be separated by crushing the berries and soaking in water. Good seeds will sink to the bottom. If these seeds are redried, they will germinate better, if scarified at planting time. Rub them between sheets of sandpaper to thin the hard hull. Then soak them overnight and plant. American Beautyberry is a beautiful and useful shrub native to Southeastern USA, that’s often grown in ornamental or pollinator gardens, southern cemeteries, and yards. In late summer and fall, it features purple berries, in thick bunches, lined along the stems in unique fashion. The genus name in Greek, means “beautiful fruit.” The white flowers are not showy, but loved by many pollinators. The berries persist well into winter and provide food for many songbirds, deer and other wildlife. It is a larval host for spring azure butterflies and snowberry clearwing moths, and others. The crushed leaves have been long used as a mosquito repellant, when rubbed on the skin, though modern users are more apt to make a tincture of the leaves for that purpose. Studies have shown that the compounds in the leaves are at least as effective for mosquitoes and ticks as DEET. It is more effective than DEET in repelling fire ants. The fruit is edible raw, but may have a bitter tinge, if any unripe berries are included. It’s more often used for preserves or wine. It’s best to mix with another more tart fruit, as it’s somewhat bland after cooking. The berries are loaded with Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants. The shrub grows up to 8 feet tall, and can be just as wide. It is native from Maryland throughout the Southeast to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. It prefers moist, but well drained soils, and adapts to many soil types and pH ranges. It tolerates acidic soils. It will die out if deeply shaded. It’s fire tolerant, and often an edgeland species of woodlands and hedgerows. Each dried berry contains 2-4 tiny seeds, which stay viable for many years when dry. The berries can be planted, or the seeds separated for planting. In either case they should be soaked for 24 hours in water before planting. Unlike many native perennials, the seeds do not require cold stratification, although they are not harmed by fall planting. These seed offerings are wild harvested in the fall of 2023, There are few pests or diseases of consequence, and the plants need little management. They will tolerate heavy pruning, if you wish to train them. Berries are produced on new growth each year, so old branches can be removed in winter to stimulate new growth. Shipping is free by first class letter. ********** NATIVES: This offering is part of our “natives” seeds and cuttings. We encourage the propagation of native plants, as these generally require less care and are of more benefit to the local environment. Our pollinators and songbirds are declining, and one reason for the loss is the planting of non-native plants that give them no support. Non-native plants often require watering and high pesticide use. The pesticides are another reason for the decline of our pollinators and songbirds. Some non-native plants, like Bradford pear, and Privit have become highly invasive and destructive. ECOTYPES: Our seeds and cuttings come from the Pee Dee region of South Carolina – Horry, Georgetown, Williamsburg and Florence Counties in the northeastern corner of the state. So these are of a coastal Carolina ecotype. Why are ecotypes important? Many of our native plants have a wide range. For example, red maples are native throughout the entire eastern US, but there are variations within the species due to adaptation to local conditions. You can expect that those from your area will do better than one from far away, even though they are the same species. NATIVITY RESOURCES ONLINE: You can find online info on native status for your area with the North American Plant Atlas, which is presented by The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). You must know the Genus and species, but then you can find county-by-county information. Another resource, which is a bit more clunky (to me) is the government Plants National Database, which does allow common names (but take care, as these have regional variations). Both online sites are easy to find online. SEEDS: Our seeds are hand collected in season, and are in limited supply. While we try to clean these, we don’t have the fancy machinery that large seed companies have, so there may be some chaff or other plant material included. We are generous in our measurements, though. And residues should not interfere with sowing the seeds. Our berries may be offered two ways – as dried berries, or as separated seeds, at a higher cost, to compensate for the increased labor. Most seeds are shipped dry, sometimes with a pac of silica gel for insurance. But a few, like Magnolia, Live Oak, and Longleaf pine should never be allowed to dry out. These are shipped damp and should be dealt with immediately. Many of the native perennial seeds require a period of cold (fall planting or cold storage in a damp medium – (called “stratification”), in order to germinate well. Some also require “scarification.” You can search online for info on how to do both of these practices. YouTube is especially helpful with many videos to show processes. Of course, as with any online resource, you have to use some judgement. There are many techniques, some contradictory, and some online info is just plain wrong. CUTTINGS: Likewise there is much online ino on plant cuttings. Keep in mind that this kind of propagation is a bit of a gamble. If you win, you get cheap plants that are exactly what you want (have you priced nursery stock lately?). If you lose, you aren’t out much. Our cuttings are made fresh upon your order, so we try to do our best for your success. While we emphasize native plants, we are not obsessive, and do have a few non-native food, herbs, and some woody plants that have shown to be well-behaved in our own homestead. NO GUARANTEES: As with any plant material, our offerings are subject to many factors and we cannot give any guarantees. We do want our customers to succeed, so we take care to give fresh and viable materials. And we no longer offer some things that we’ve shown in our own tests to be unlikely to do well.
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