'Welch's Pink' beautyberry is a cultivar in the mint family (Lamiaceae). This cultivar was found by Matt Welch in east Texas and its seeds are true to the pink color. It grows 4-6 feet tall and wide so is a little smaller than the genus. 'Welch's Pink' will tolerate dry to wet conditions and sun to shade. It can be pruned after the berries are gone in late winter to 1-2 feet if desired to control size. This encourages bushiness and because it blooms on new growth, you will get more berries. This cultivar has small summer flowers and, in September, forms the beautiful pink berries that last into winter until the birds eat them. Use this plant in the native garden to attract birds and bees, as a foundation planting or for naturalizing. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Callicarpa americana .
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 | Moist | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Broad; Erect; Multi-stemmed
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The leaves emerge in the spring on long arching stems. They are medium green in color, simple, ovate to elliptical in shape, and appear opposite in arrangement. The tip of the leaf is pointed or blunt, and the base is tapered. The margins are saw-toothed or serrated, and the undersides of the leaf may be covered with wooly hairs. They are usually 3 ½ - 6" in length and about ½ as wide. In the fall the leaves turn pale chartreuse before dropping from the shrub
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers emerge in clusters late spring to early summer on the new growth of the shrub where the leaves meet the stem. It gives them the appearance that they are surrounding the branch. The blooms may be pink, or white in color. They bloom in cymes at axils from June through July to add a little summer color to the landscape.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Pink
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Edible; Long-lasting; Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruits are clusters of small pink berries that form a whorl and encircle the stems. They appear in August through October and may last through the winter. Each berry is about 1/4 inch long with 2 to 4 seeds. Each seed measures about 1/16 inch long. They are edible to humans but have very little flavor.
Bark color
Light Brown; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The bark color on the older wood is light brown, but the young wood appears reddish-brown. The bark is smooth, but corky ridges are seen.
Stem color
Gray/Silver; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The stems are long, slender, and arching. They may be rounded to four-sided. They appear gray to reddish in color and may be covered with very fine hairs.