Callicarpa (10 plants)
$6.55 plant + $1.35 royalty = $7.90 total per plant
Callicarpa, or Beauty berry as it is commonly known, is an excellent addition to the fall lineup. There are American and Eurasian species, and this European version is more cold hardy than some of those found in the southeast of the US.
These tall upright shrubs are a bit boring to look at in the summer, but once they drop their foliage, the show begins. The berries are not very tasty to birds so they are not at immediate risk of bird attack.
I love purple in the autumn. There are so many pink and purple tones in the fall landscape and Magical Deep Purple will play well with flowering kale, pink and purple mums, Caryopteris and all of your other fall favorites. It also contrasts beautifully with orange and rusty tones.
Magical Snowqueen is a rare gem. Most white varieties brown easily, but these pure white plump berries keep their color and hold well. Perfect for autumn and winter weddings or even a bit of Christmas decorating. Don't miss this one of a kind Callicarpa!
Magical Purple Giant is new and has large plump berries in a deep lavender purple, setting it apart from the rich purple of Magical Deep Purple
Hardy zones 6-9 (and possibly 5-10)
Spacing 3-4'
What You'll Receive
Bare root woody plants are just that! Plants with bare roots. They are dug from the field where they were grown, are washed and then stored in the perfect climate over the winter months. This process has many benefits.
Soil is heavy and messy to ship. Removing the soil makes it possible to bring in these hard to find plants from Holland where they are grown by the very folks that breed them.
Soil also can harbor insects and pathogens, so removing plants from soil helps satisfy import requirements of the USDA and ensures you are receiving healthy disease free plant material. The plants are harvested in a dormant state and held that way until they are shipped. They won't even know they have changed countries when they wake up in your garden or field in the springtime.
Our woody plants are grown in the field in Holland for 1 year before shipping to you. They are pinched a couple of times during the growing season resulting in a stocky well branched plant that will have a good structure on arrival.
These plants will establish quickly in 2025 and you may be able to start harvesting as soon as 2026 on the faster maturing crops. Height will vary, but in general they will be around 12-16" in height.
What To Do With It
All of these plants will ship to you in March at a time approprate for planting. They will be just coming out of dormancy. You may see swelling buds or a bit of new growth, but in general they will be in a dormant state and may look a little dead. Don't worry! They will wake up.
You may see a bit of mold on the roots but this is completely normal. Simply wash it off and plant immediately. As a precaution you can treat the roots with a fungicide or biofungicide, but this isn't necessary. Small broken branches are also of little concern. Just prune off any broken bits and the plant will recover quickly. The root system is the important part at this stage in the game.
If you can't plant immediately on arrival store your bare roots in the cooler. Keep them damp and wrapped in plastic as dry roots are the kiss of death for this type of product. The cold will delay their growth. Keep them from freezing. You can either pot them into 1 gallon pots or plant them directly into your prepared soil. Just make sure to plant them within a few days of arrival. They are waking up and are ready to grow, and they will decline quickly if they are not given soil, water and sunshine.
If they arrive before you can plant outside or before it is reliably above freezing outdoors, pot them, and put them back into your cooler until spring advances. They will start to grow new roots immediately. When you see new buds on the trees and shrubs outdoors it is time to bring them out.
To be honest I am being overly cautious in my recommendations, but these these plants aren't cheap. They are a long term investment that will pay for themselves many times over if you get them through this brief period of transition. Read the directions and success sure to follow.
It is a carefully orchestrated process to get plants quickly from their storage conditions to you so please do your part and be ready to plant them on arrival. There is no reason that these plants will experience any stress if you prepare for their arrival.
Growing Guides
Click here to access our comprehensive growing guides containing everything you need to know about this crop.
| Common Name | American beautyberry; purple beauty-berry |
| Genus | Callicarpa |
| Species | americana |
| Family | Lamiaceae |
| Life Cycle | Woody perennial |
| Format | Bare Roots |
| Care | All of these plants be just coming out of dormancy. You may see swelling buds or a bit of new growth, but in general they will be in a dormant state and may look a little dead. Don't worry! They will wake up. You may see a bit of mold on the roots but this is completely normal. Simply wash it off and plant immediately. As a precaution you can treat the roots with a fungicide or biofungicide, but this isn't necessary. Small broken branches are also of little concern. Just prune off any broken bits and the plant will recover quickly. The root system is the important part at this stage in the game. If you can't plant immediately on arrival store your bare roots in the cooler.The cold will delay their growth. Keep them from freezing. You can either pot them into 1 gallon pots or plant them directly into your prepared soil. Just make sure to plant them within a few days of arrival. They are waking up and are ready to grow, and they will decline quickly if they are not given soil, water and sunshine. This is a carefully orchestrated process to get plants quickly from their storage conditions to you so please do your part and be ready to plant them on arrival. There is no reason that these plants will experience any stress if you prepare for their arrival. |
| Netting / Staking | None |
| Hardiness | Hardy zones 6-9 (and possibly 5-10) |
| Spacing | Spacing 4-5' and mature height is 5-6' |
| Soil Preference | Any type; good drainage is essential. Performs well in acidic soil. |
| Light | Full sun |
| Water | Callicarpa grows best on a moist soil in partial shade or sun. However, the soil should not be too moist. It is important to make the soil thoroughly permeable and remove hard layers before planting the Callicarpa. |
| When to Plant | Spring, when the ground is workable. |
| Harvesting |
Wait until the berries are fully grown and have their full color before cutting. It is important not to prune the branches too early. The leaf of the callicarpa has an oval shape and lets the plant branch until late in fall. The leaves turn yellow before they fall on the ground and the berries get their important purple feature in late fall or early winter. The ideal cutting time is when the leaves have fallen and the berries have their full color. Plan to harvest your first branches approximately three years after planting the bare root shrubs. Don't expect to harvest in year 1 or 2, but more material can be cut each year as the plants mature (typically 10+ stems). |
| Post Harvest Care | Keep cut branches in a cool and not too sunny place, which will help the purple hue to last as long as possible. |
| Diseases / Insects | No significant pests or disease issues. |
| Bailey's Notes | These tall upright shrubs are a bit boring to look at in the summer, but once they drop their foliage, the show begins. The berries are not very tasty to birds so they are not at immediate risk of bird attack. I love purple in the autumn. There are so many pink and purple tones in the fall landscape and Magical Deep Purple will play well with flowering kale, pink and purple mums, Caryopteris and all of your other fall favorites. It also contrasts beautifully with orange and rusty tones. Magical Snowqueen is a rare gem. Most white varieties brown easily, but these pure white plump berries keep their color and hold well. Perfect for autumn and winter weddings or even a bit of Christmas decorating. |
| Resources |
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox Callicarpa americana |