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For the Love Of Nature, Art and Bad Humor
A Comic Gallery of Creative Expression in the Pursuit of Knowledge
Beautyberry
(Callicarpa- Beautiful Fruit) Callicarpa americana
A Native Florida Shrub.
Beautyberry evolved to thrive in Florida’s climate.
So it doesn’t require extra watering or fertilizer.
In fact, too much fertilizer can result in less berries.
Too much fertilizer can also result in a
gross, algae-slime covered Florida.
Ewwwww... GROSS.
Too much fertilizer- bad.
Native plants- good!
Beautyberry berries aren’t berries-
they're drupes!
Coconuts, coffee, cashews, peaches, plums,
nectarines, apricots, cherries, olives, mango
and almonds are all drupes too.
Drupes hold 1-4 seeds safe inside a hard endocarp that's also surrounded by an outer (usually tasty) fleshy area called a mesocarp. Followed by the outer skin called an exocarp.
(Berries don't have an endocarp; their numerous seeds just vulnerably hang out on the surface.)
Beautyberries Attract Cool Wildlife.
The shrub produces flowers in the Spring
providing nectar for butterflies and bees.
The gorgeous purple drupes form in the fall and winter.
40 plus bird species eat the drupes
and poop out their seeds.
Their poop helps spread even more beautyberries.
Which are really just purple, iridescent
future bird poops on a branch.
Armadillos, bears, opossums, raccoons and
squirrels also enjoy making the plump,
high-moisture-content drupes into poop.
Deer turn the plant into poop all year long!
Enjoying each stage of growth and the flowers
and berries that comes with it.
Beautyberry Repels Mosquitos.
20th century farmers would rub or place
crushed up leaves on themselves and their
horses and mules to repel mosquitos.
Some still try this method with varied success.
Beautyberry Is Edible.
They are bitter raw but can be cooked into
jelly, tea, sauces and wine.
Beautyberry Could Potentially
Cure Cancer
Native American tribes used beautyberry to treat
all kinds of ailments. These days there aren’t any
technically proven health benefits but
researchers have found 67 compounds
in this plant that show great potential.
It’s being studied for its antiviral
and antibacterial properties as well as
cancer treatment and memory enhancement.
Beautyberry Is AWESOME.
It's beautiful, native, provides food, repels mosquitos and offers great potential for our yards and ourselves.
References:
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/shrubs/beautyberry.html
https://www.fnps.org/plant/callicarpa-americana
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callicarpa_americana
https://www.gardenia.net/plant/callicarpa-americana-american-beautyberry
Special thanks to Jay Exum, Ph.D. Wildlife Ecology for his expert fact checking!
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