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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 harsh climate - tough and ready for whatever the state throws at it. Like other natives, it doesn't need extra watering or fertilizer.
In fact, too much fertilizer means fewer berries, and a nutrient-choked, algae-slimed Florida.
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 inside a hard endocarp, surrounded by a fleshy mesocarp (usually the tasty part) and an outer skin called the exocarp.
Berries, by contrast, have no endocarp - their
seeds just vulnerably hang out on the surface.
Beautyberries Attract Cool Wildlife.
The shrub produces flowers in spring, providing nectar for butterflies and bees. Then the gorgeous purple drupes form in fall and winter. Over 40 bird species eat those drupes and poop out the seeds, helping spread even more beautyberries around - which means those glistening purple clusters are essentially just more future bird poops. Armadillos, bears, opossums, raccoons, and squirrels also convert the plump, high-moisture drupes into poops. Deer enjoy every stage of growth and participate in the seed-eat-poop-spread-grow cycle year-round.
Beautyberry Repels Mosquitoes.
20th-century farmers rubbed crushed leaves on
themselves, their horses and mules to keep mosquitoes away. Some people still try it, with mixed results.
Beautyberry Is Edible.
Bitter raw, but it cooks up nicely into
jelly, tea, sauces, and wine.
Beautyberry and Cancer Research.
Native American tribes used beautyberry to treat a range
of ailments. No health benefits are technically proven
yet, but researchers have identified 67 compounds in
the plant showing real promise. It's being studied for antiviral and antibacterial properties, cancer treatment,
and memory enhancement.
Beautyberry is kinda amazing.
Beautiful, native, wildlife-friendly, provides food, mosquito-repelling, and possibly a future miracle plant. A remarkable plant with 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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