• Photo of Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis (Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensiss)

Plant Profile: Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis

Names

Bunchberry, French Mulberry, Purple Beauty-berry, Sourbush

  • Photo of Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis (Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensiss)

Phonetic Spelling:kal-ee-KAR-pah dy-KOH-toh-mah kwang-tung-EN-sis

Genus:Callicarpa

Species:dichotoma × kwangtungensis

Family:Lamiaceae

Beautyberry is a rapidly growing perennial that serves as a stunning ornamental shrub, ideal for mass plantings, borders, and even container gardens, thanks to its vibrant summer flowers and striking fall berries. The cultivar Pearl Glam™ truly lives up to its name, showcasing a breathtaking display in autumn with its bright violet berries set against dark purple leaves—making it a perfect choice for Halloween decor! This variety was developed at the NCSU Mountain Crop Improvement Lab in collaboration with Spring Meadow Nursery and is a sophisticated hybrid of Callicarpa dichotoma and C. kwangtungensis. It features an upright growth habit, purple-tinged foliage, and an abundant early fruiting display. Notably, the seeds are sterile, ensuring that no new plants will sprout in your garden. To maintain a compact shape and encourage new growth for enhanced blooming, this shrub can be pruned back to 6 inches in early spring. However, be mindful that excessive shade can lead to leggy growth.

The name Callicarpa is derived from Greek, meaning "beautiful fruit."

**Seasons of Interest:**
- **Foliage:** Spring to Fall
- **Bloom:** Summer
- **Fruit:** Fall to Winter, Berry

**Insects, Diseases, and Other Issues:** This plant is generally resistant to pests and diseases. However, it can be affected by certain issues such as leaf spot (Atractilina callicarpae) and black mold (Meliola cookeana).

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis Feature Summary

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis Image Gallery

Tags

#showy berries
#wildlife plant
#purple leaves
#nectar plant
#winter interest
#fall interest
#food source
#halloween
#mci
#fall fruits
#bird friendly
#bee friendly

Similar Plants

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis is often confused with:

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis Feature Summary

Attributes
Native American tribes used the native plant’s (Callicarpa americana) roots, leaves and branches for medicinal purposes. In the early 1900’s, farmers would crush the native plant’s leaves and place them under the harnesses of horses and mules, or rub the leaves on their arms, to repel mosquitoes and biting insects. Studies have shown that two compounds – callicarpenal and intermedeol – are responsible for the repellant properties.
Beautyberries are a wonderful plant for wildlife.  In the spring, the white flowers attract bees and other insects. The purple berries have a high moisture content and are a food source for more than 40 species of birds.
Fruit
Very showy lilac-violet fruit 1/8" diameter ripen in September and are showy through fall leaf drop and partially into winter
Showy
Long-lasting
Flowers
Clusers of small pink to lavender cymes form in the leaf axils in the summer
Pink
Purple/Lavender
Leaves
Elliptic to oblong 1-3 inch leaves purple-green with dark purple veins.
Green
Purple/Lavender
Elliptical
Oblong
1-3 inches
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Landscape
Children's Garden
Winter Garden
Border
Hedge
Mass Planting
Walkways
Woodland
Songbirds

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis Attributes

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Uses (Ethnobotany)

Native American tribes used the native plant’s (Callicarpa americana) roots, leaves and branches for medicinal purposes. In the early 1900’s, farmers would crush the native plant’s leaves and place them under the harnesses of horses and mules, or rub the leaves on their arms, to repel mosquitoes and biting insects. Studies have shown that two compounds – callicarpenal and intermedeol – are responsible for the repellant properties.

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Wildlife Value

Beautyberries are a wonderful plant for wildlife.  In the spring, the white flowers attract bees and other insects. The purple berries have a high moisture content and are a food source for more than 40 species of birds.

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)

This plant is seldom damaged by deer.

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis Fruit

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Fruit Description

Very showy lilac-violet fruit 1/8" diameter ripen in September and are showy through fall leaf drop and partially into winter

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis Flowers

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Flower Description

Clusers of small pink to lavender cymes form in the leaf axils in the summer

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
Purple/Lavender

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis Leaves

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Leaf Description

Elliptic to oblong 1-3 inch leaves purple-green with dark purple veins.

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Leaf Color

spa
Green
spa
Purple/Lavender

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis Whole Plant Traits

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis Cultural Conditions

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis Stem

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis Landscape

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Callicarpa dichotoma x kwangtungensis: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees