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Callicarpa dichotoma

purple beautyberry

Lamiaceae East Asia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Deer Resistant Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 5–8

Overview

Callicarpa dichotoma is a compact, deciduous shrub in the mint family, native to woodlands and thickets of China, Korea, and Japan. It forms a low, spreading mound 3-4 feet (90-120 cm) tall and 4-5 feet (120-150 cm) wide, with slender, arching branches. The leaves are oval, 1.5-3 inches (4-7.5 cm) long, toothed in the upper half and set in opposite pairs. In summer small clusters of pink to lavender flowers open where the leaves meet the stem and draw bees. The flowers give way to the feature for which the shrub is grown: tight clusters of small, glossy, violet to magenta-purple berries about 0.1 inch (3 mm) wide that ring the stems in early to mid fall and hold after the leaves drop. Birds gradually strip the fruit through winter. The species adapts to a range of soils but needs reasonable moisture and fruits most heavily in full sun. It can look bare and twiggy before the berries color up, and hard winters may kill it back to the ground.

Native Range

Native to East Asia, including central and eastern China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, in open woodlands, forest margins, and thickets.

Suggested Uses

Used in shrub borders, mixed plantings, and mass groupings for its fall fruit color. The berries feed songbirds and other wildlife into winter, and fruiting stems are cut for indoor arrangements. It suits informal and wildlife-oriented gardens where its late-season interest stands out.

How to Identify

Identify Callicarpa dichotoma by its low, arching form and oval, toothed leaves set in opposite pairs along the stems. Small clusters of pink to lavender flowers form in the leaf axils in summer. In fall it carries its signature tight rings of small, glossy violet-purple berries spaced along the bare stems.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 4'

Width/Spread4' - 5'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Summer

Flowering runs through summer, from June to August, in small clusters of pink to lavender flowers at the leaf joints. Bloom is modest and easy to overlook. The flowers are followed in early to mid fall by the bright violet-purple berry clusters that are the plant main display.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

pink to lavender

Foliage Description

medium green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay sand

Drainageaverage

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade on average, moist, well-drained soils and adapts to clay, loam, or sand across a wide pH range. Steady moisture and full sun give the heaviest fruit set, while deep shade reduces both flowers and berries. Because it blooms and fruits on the current season growth, it is cut back hard in late winter or early spring. In colder zones the stems may die back in hard winters and regrow from the base. The species has few serious pests or diseases. Propagation is by softwood cuttings or by seed.

Pruning

Cut the stems back hard in late winter or early spring, since flowers and fruit form on new growth. Plants can be reduced to 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) to keep them dense and well-fruited. Old, weak stems are removed at the base at the same time.