Bodinier's beautyberry is an upright deciduous shrub in the Lamiaceae (mint) family that produces showy purple fruit in the fall. It is a native of Southern China and Indochina. The genus, Callicarpa , is Greek and means beautiful fruit. The species name, bodinieri , is named after Emile Maire Bodinier. She was a French missionary and botanist in China in the 19th century, The shrub may grow from 6 to 10 feet in height and has slender upright branches. The leaves are green, and in the fall the leaves turn a golden yellow. Clusters of lilac-colored flowers blossom from June to August on the new growth of the shrub. Clusters of violet-purple berries appear afterward and form a whorl around the stem. They ripen by September and will remain on the shrub after the leaves have dropped. They provide a showy fall display until early winter. Bodinier's beautyberry is tolerant of the cold and it prefers well-drained soil as well as full sun to improve fruit production. The shrub is best planted in small groupings to ensure better pollination. The shrub attracts bees, butterflies, and birds. The fruits are bitter, and wildlife tends to avoid them unless all other food sources have been depleted. Bodinier's beautyberry is best pruned in late winter or early spring to remove the oldest stems. The flowers and fruit appear on the new growth of the shrub. "Profusion' is the most common cultivar of Callicarpa bodinier var. giraldii and won the Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society. It can grow to 10 feet in height and has pale pink flowers and dark violet fruits. The leaves emerge bronze in the spring, dark green in the summer, and golden purple in the fall. This cultivar produces more fruit than other species. This shrub is best suited for informal gardens, meadows, mass plantings, and woodlands. The beautiful colorful fruits add interest to the landscape in the fall. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The shrub is generally disease and pest free, but it can be susceptible to leaf spot, stem disease, and black mold.
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); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Open; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Purple/Lavender
Leaf type
Simple
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 are green, simple, and elliptic to ovate in shape. They are pubescent with pointed tips and serrated margins. They turn golden yellow in the fall. The 'Profusion' cultivar's leaves emerge bronze in the spring, turn dark green in the summer, and golden purple in the fall.
Fall color
Purple/Lavender
Flower color
Blue; Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower form
Cyme
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The flowers are a cluster of lilac-colored blooms about 1.5 inched in diameter. They appear on the leaf axils in June through August, blooming on the new growth of the shrub. The 'Profusion' cultivar's flowers are pale pink blooms.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Blue; Purple/Lavender
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Long-lasting; Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruits are a cluster of glossy purple berries. Each berry is about 1/8 -1/6 inches in diameter. They ripen in September and are more prominent after the leaves drop from the shrub. The berries remain on the shrub until late fall and early winter. The 'Profusion' cultivar's berries are a large cluster of 30-40 violet colored berries.
Stem detail
The stems are slender, arching, and downy covered.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Southern China to Indo-China
Distribution
Cambodia, China Southcentral, China Southeast, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam
Wildlife value
Attracts bees, butterflies, and birds and seldom damaged by deer.