Re: Well, it's cold.....beautyberry

I have grown it for three years, but as it is at its upper limit of  
tolerance, zone-wise here, I risk losing it every winter, even though  
it is in a sheltered spot. Have never seen birds eat the berries  
(maybe they since they have never seen beauty berries, they don't  
realize they are edible!). What birds feed on them?


Cathy, west central IL, z5b

On Nov 6, 2006, at 8:43 AM, Bonnie Holmes wrote:

> According to info in my guides, Callicarpa americana can grow in  
> acid or
> lime, rich or very poor soil.  It does do better with some moisture  
> and in
> dappled shade.  Companion plants are:  live oak, post oak, pines,
> sparkleberry, parsley hawthorn, rusty blackhaw, viburnum, and  
> dogwood.  I
> have mine in my "native garden" area near oaks, pawpaw, sassafras,  
> beech,
> American holly, viburnums, and wild cherry.  It is on a slope where  
> it gets
> some natural drainage.
>
> The birds are cleaning mine off as I write.
>
> If you can grow one of the companion plants successfully, it seems  
> that you
> could plant it nearby.
>
> Bonnie Zone 7/7 ETN
> Remember:  The River Raisin, The Alamo, The Maine, Pearl Harbor, 9/11
>
>
>> [Original Message]
>> From: <TeichFlora@aol.com>
>> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
>> Date: 11/5/2006 4:15:24 PM
>> Subject: Re: [CHAT] Well, it's cold.....beautyberry
>>
>> I can't grow this plant for anything.  It is native here to Texas, so
> should
>> do fine.  I thought maybe too alkaline this far west??  Should  be  
>> fine
>> though.  No clue what I'm doing wrong.  Have tried twice  now.
>> Noreen
>> zone 9
>> Texas Gulf Coast
>>
>> In a message dated 11/4/2006 11:02:22 PM Central Standard Time,
>> gardenchat-owner@hort.net writes:
>>
>> I have  similar experience with American beautyberry. Every year I  
>> whack
>> them to  the ground and they come roaring back. Also, the scrub  
>> jays and
>> Mrs  Mocking Bird will plant them everywhere when you're not looking.
>> This  year, for the first time, I'm trying to beat the birds to the
>> berries by  harvesting them for juice--and the only sensible way  
>> to do
>> this is to lop  off whole berry-laden branches, which means most
>> branches.
>>
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