Callicarpa japonica

Callicarpa japonica, commonly called Japanese beautyberry, is a rounded, deciduous shrub with slender, upright-arching branches. It typically grows to 4-6? tall and as wide. As the common name suggests, the best ornamental feature of this shrub is its showy fall display of fruit (beautyberries). Clusters (cymes to 1.5? wide) of small, pink to white flowers bloom in June. Flowers are not particularly showy. Flowers are followed by large clusters of bright, glossy, violet to purple fruits (each 1/6? diameter) which ripen in late summer and put on their best show through October. Fruits may persist beyond the point of leaf drop but not very far into winter. Fruits are attractive to birds. Elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, finely toothed, medium green leaves (to 3-5? long) with acuminate tips are borne along the stems.