The Mexican beautyberry is a heat and humidity tolerant deciduous shrub and member of the mint family (Lamiaceae). Its native range is from Mexico to Bolivia and has been introduced in the United States. It is reportedly hardy in the piedmont region of North Carolina. The genus name is Greek for beautiful fruit. The species name is Latin and means pointed or sharp. This shrub will grow 4-6 feet tall and wide and flowers best in full sun but tolerates partial shade. It can be pruned into a tree shape if desired. Grow in average well-drained garden soil and mulch for winter protection in the northern zone range. Prune in late winter to 1 foot high to promote additional summer growth as flowering and berry production is on new wood. The Mexican beautyberry has white blooms with yellow stamens and blooms during the summer. The fruits are large clusters of dark glossy purplish-black berries from late summer to fall. The fruits may even last through the winter. Occasionally white berries have been observed. Its flowers and fruits form on the new wood of the shrub. The leaves are sage green, rough, serrated, hairy, wrinkled, and have pointed tips. Use this shrub in the border or as a foundation plant in a pollinator or winter garden. The shrub's berries provide beautiful color in the fall and winter and are a good food source for birds. The showy fruits may also be used in floral arrangements. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Erect
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The leaves appear on long arching branches. They are sage green in color, and the undersides of the leaf are a paler color. They measure up to 6 inches long and are up to 2 inches wide. The leaves are simple, opposite, rough, wrinkled, and ovate to elliptical in shape. The tips of the leaves are pointed, and the base is tapered. They have tiny star-shaped stellate hairs on the surface of the leaf. The margins are coarsely toothed or serrated.
Flower color
White
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers appear in the late spring to summer on the new wood of the shrub. The blooms are white with yellow stamens and develop on each leaf axil. The flower measures 1/8 to 1/4, and it appears in clusters measuring approximately 2 inches wide.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Purple/Lavender; White
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruits are large clusters of dark shiny purplish-black berries that develop a whorl around the arching stems of the shrub. Each berry measures about 3/16 to 1/4 inch in diameter and resembles blackberries. Occasionally specimens have been found to have white berries. The fruits appear late summer into fall. They may last through winter and are food for birds.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green
Stem detail
The stems on young plants are slightly fuzzy and greenish-brown in color.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Native to Mexico to Bolivia
Distribution
Belize, Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, United States--FL, NC, NY, and Texas, Venezuela
Wildlife value
The berries attract bees, birds, and butterflies.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators; Songbirds
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Winter
Fruit type
Berry
Uses (ethnobotany)
The crushed leaves of the Callicarpa produce a chemical, and the scent of this chemical repels mosquitos. The Department of Agriculture has formulated and patented the product as a mosquito repellant. Herbal doctors of Mexico have prescribed tea made from Callicarpa's crushed leaves for the treatment of vomiting and diarrhea.