Callicarpa americana, American beautyberry
Coladonato, Milo. 1992. Callicarpa americana, American beautyberry. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/calame
| Abbreviation | Common Name | Scientific Name | Classification | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plants | ||||
| CALAME | American beautyberry | Callicarpa americana | Life Form: Plants/Shrub Kingdom: Plantae Class: Dicot Order: Lamiales Family: Verbenaceae Genus: Callicarpa | Fed. Protected: No Nativity: Native Invasiveness: Noninvasive |
American beautyberry.
Taxonomy
The currently accepted scientific name for American beautyberry is Callicarpa americana L. [9]. There are two recognized varieties:
- Callicarpa americana var. americana
- Callicarpa americana var. lactea F.J. Mull. [12]
Synonyms
- No entry
Other Common Names
Spanish-mulberry, French-mulberry, Bermuda-mulberry, sour-berry, sow-berry
General Distribution
American beautyberry is widely distributed throughout the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains, from Virginia to Florida and west to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. It also occurs in the West Indies [9,30]. It is cultivated in Hawaii [37].
States
- United States: AL FL GA HI LA MS NC SC TX VA
Site Characteristics
American beautyberry grows on a variety of sites in the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains of the southeastern United States. It is mostly restricted to climates with mild winters and long, hot, humid summers. It grows best in clay or loamy soil but will also grow on sandy sites [6,27,29,32].
Plant Communities
Common overstory associates of American beautyberry include sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), sweetbay (Persea borbonia), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora), hickory (Carya spp.), and oak (Quercus spp.). Understory associates include sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), southern bayberry (Myrica cerifera), hurrahbush (Lyonia lucida), greenbrier (Smilax spp.), and fetterbush (Leucothoe racemosa) [18,24,33,34].
Botanical Description
American beautyberry.
American beautyberry is a large deciduous, bushy shrub. It is prostrate to erect and reaches heights of 3 to 12 feet (1.0-3.5 m). The slender stems are arched and the large leaves are opposite, with the smaller leaves at the end of the twigs. The short tubular flowers are borne along the twigs at the base of the leaf axils. The fruit is a berrylike drupe containing four small nutlets [6,19,29].
Raunkiaer Life Form (Raunkiaer 1934)
- Phanerophyte
Seasonal Development
American beautyberry flowers between June and July; the fruit ripens from August to November [30].
Regeneration Processes
American beautyberry is a prolific seed producer, and the literature suggests that regeneration from seed is its primary mode of reproduction [22,23]. The seed is dispersed by birds [25,29]. It also regenerates vegetatively by sprouting, although details have not been described.
Successional Status
American beautyberry is a moderately shade intolerant, early- to mid-seral species [3,38]. In the longleaf pine/bluestem (Pinus palustris/Andropogon spp.) range in the Big Thicket region of eastern Texas, American beautyberry was an early invader of openings created by disturbance [31]. It was the only understory shrub present 19 years after timber harvest in a southern Arkansas pine-oak forest (density=546 plants/ha). Its density declined with succession, lowering to 28 plants/ha at postharvest year 75 [38].
Immediate Fire Effects
Severe fires can kill American beautyberry by completely removing soil organic layers and charring the roots [11]. Low-severity fires only top-kill plants.
Postfire Regeneration Strategy (Stickney 1989)
- Tall shrub, adventitious-bud root crown
- Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
- Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)
Fire Adaptations
American beautyberry probably survives fire by sprouting from the root collar. However, its primary mode of regeneration after fire is through a seedbank [4,15].
Plant Response to Fire
American beautyberry increases the first growing season following fire [14]. However, density will decline as the faster growing trees and shrubs overtop it [15].
Fire Regimes
For fire regime information, search FEIS for this species by entering the species name on the Advanced Search page and selecting “Fire Regime” as the publication type.
Fire Management Considerations
Twelve years of annual burning eliminated American beautyberry on a Louisiana longleaf pine site [11].
Federal Status
None
Other Status
No entry.
Importance to Wildlife and Livestock
The seeds of American beautyberry are an important food source for birds and small mammals. At least 10 species of birds feed on the fruit, especially northern bobwhite. The fruit is also eaten by raccoon, opossum, and gray fox [30].
American beautyberry is considered one of the most desirable spring and summer browse of white-tailed deer [1,10]. Cattle occasionally browse on the leaves of American beautyberry [17].
Palatability and Nutritional Value
American beautyberry is highly palatable to white-tailed deer [26].
Seasonal percent nutrient values for American beautyberry is as follows [26]:
| Nutrient | April | September | November | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Twigs | Leaves | Twigs | Leaves | Twigs | |
| Protein | 21.21 | 15.36 | 9.68 | 4.52 | — | 4.29 |
| Calcium | 0.534 | 0.598 | 1.287 | 0.703 | — | 0.582 |
| Phosphorus | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.09 | 0.05 | — | 0.07 |
Cover Value
American beautyberry provides environmental protection for a variety of birds and small mammals along the coastal plains of the southeastern United States [5,22].
Value for Rehabilitation or Restoration of Disturbed Sites
No entry.
Other Uses
No entry.
Other Management Considerations
American beautyberry is one of the most prevalent woody competitors of pines in southeastern United States [2]. A combination of tebuthiuron application and burning is an effective management practice for controlling American beautyberry [21].
Table A1— Forest and range ecosystems, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) physiographic regions, Kuchler plant associations, Society for American Foresters (SAF) forest cover types, and Society for Rangeland Management (SRM) rangeland cover types in which this species occurs.
Forest and Range Ecosystems (Garrison et al. 1977)
- FRES12 Longleaf - slash pine
- FRES13 Loblolly - shortleaf pine
- FRES14 Oak – pine
- FRES15 Oak – hickory
- FRES16 Oak - gum - cypress
BLM Physiographic Regions (Bernard and Brown 1977)
- No entry
Kuchler Plant Associations (Kuchler 1964)
- K090 Live oak - sea oats
- K091 Cypress savanna
- K100 Oak - hickory forest
- K111 Oak - hickory - pine forest
- K112 Southern mixed forest
- K113 Southern floodplain forest
- K114 Pocosin
SAF Cover Types (Eyre 1980)
- 70 Longleaf pine
- 75 Shortleaf pine
- 76 Shortleaf pine -oak
- 78 Virginia pine – oak
- 79 Virginia pine
- 80 Loblolly pine - shortleaf pine
- 81 Loblolly pine
- 82 Loblolly pine – hardwood
- 83 Longleaf pine - slash pine
- 85 Slash pine – hardwood
- 87 Sweetgum - yellow poplar
- 91 Swamp chestnut oak - cherrybark oak
- 98 Pond pine
- 100 Pond cypress
- 101 Baldcypress
- 102 Baldcypress – tupelo
- 103 Water tupelo - swamp tupelo
- 104 Sweetbay - swamp tupelo - redbay
SRM Rangeland Cover Types (Shiflet 1994)
- No entry
1. Blair, Robert M. 1960. Deer forage increased by thinnings in a Louisiana loblolly pine plantation. Journal of Wildlife Management. 24(4): 401-405. [16891]
2. Cain, Michael D.; Barnett, James P. 1991. Three-year field comparison of natural loblolly pine regeneration with improved container stock. In: Coleman, Sandra S.; Neary, Daniel G., compilers. Proceedings, 6th biennial southern silvicultural research conference: Volume 1; 1990 October 30 - November 1; Memphis, TN. Gen. Tech. Rep. SE-70.. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station: 38-46. [17460]
3. Daubenmire, Rexford. 1990. The Magnolia grandiflora-Quercus virginiana forest of Florida. American Midland Naturalist. 123: 331-347. [10871]
4. Dickson, James G. 1981. Effects of forest burning on songbirds. In: Wood, Gene W., ed. Prescribed fire and wildlife in southern forests: Proceedings of a symposium; 1981 April 6-8; Myrtle Beach, SC. Georgetown, SC: Clemson University, Belle W. Baruch Forest Science Institute: 67-72. [14811]
5. Dickson, James G.; Williamson, J. Howard. 1988. Small mammals in streamside management zones in pine plantations. In: Szaro, Robert C.; Severson, Kieth E.; Patton, David R., technical coordinators. Management of amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals in North America: Proceedings of the symposium; 1988 July 19-21; Flagstaff, AZ. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-166. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 375-378. [7125]
6. Duncan, Wilbur H.; Duncan, Marion B. 1987. The Smithsonian guide to seaside plants of the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts from Louisiana to Massachusetts, exclusive of lower peninsular Florida. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press. 409 p. [12906]
7. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
8. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others]. 1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
9. Godfrey, Robert K. 1988. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of northern Florida and adjacent Georgia and Alabama. Athens, GA: The University of Georgia Press. 734 p. [10239]
10. Goodrum, Phil D.; Reid, Vincent H. 1958. Deer browsing in the longleaf pine belt. In: Proceedings, 58th annual meeting of the Society of American Foresters; [Date of meeting unknown]; [Place of meeting unknown]. Washington, DC: [Society of American Foresters]: 139-143. [17023]
11. Grelen, Harold E. 1975. Vegetative response to twelve years of seasonal burning on a Louisiana longleaf pine site. Res. Note SO-192. New Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station. 4 p. [13842]
12. Kartesz, John T.; Kartesz, Rosemarie. 1980. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. Volume II: The biota of North America. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press; in confederation with Anne H. Lindsey and C. Richie Bell, North Carolina Botanical Garden. 500 p. [6954]
13. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York: American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
14. Landers, J. Larry. 1987. Prescribed burning for managing wildlife in southeastern pine forests. In: Dickson, James G.; Maughan, O. Eugene, eds. Managing southern forests for wildlife and fish: a proceedings; [Date of conference unknown]; [Location of conference unknown]. Gen. Tech. Rep. SO-65. New Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station: 19-27. [11562]
15. Magee, Dennis W. 1981. Freshwater wetlands: A guide to common indicator plants of the Northeast. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. 245 p. [14824]
16. Lyon, L. Jack; Stickney, Peter F. 1976. Early vegetal succession following large northern Rocky Mountain wildfires. In: Proceedings, Tall Timbers fire ecology conference and Intermountain Fire Research Council fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, MT. No. 14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 355-373. [1496]
17. Pearson, H. A.; Whitaker, L. B. 1974. Yearlong grazing of slash pine ranges: effects on herbage and browse. Journal of Range Management. 27(3): 195-197. [16232]
18. Quarterman, Elsie; Keever, Catherine. 1962. Southern mixed hardwood forest: climax in the southeastern coastal plain, U.S.A. Ecological Monographs. 32: 167-185. [10801]
19. Radford, Albert E.; Ahles, Harry E.; Bell, C. Ritchie. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press. 1183 p. [7606]
20. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
21. Scifres, Charles J. 1987. Economic assessment of tebuthiuron-fire systems for brush management. Weed Technology. 1: 22-28. [3911]
22. Shrauder, Paul A.; Miller, Howard A. 1969. On deer food and cover. In: White-tailed deer in the southern forest habitat: Proceedings of a symposium; [Date unknown]; [Location unknown]. [Place of publication unknown]: [Publisher unknown]: 1-16. On file with: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. [17173]
23. Silker, T. H. 1961. Prescribed burning to control undesirable hardwoods in southern pine stands. Bulletin No. 51. Kirbyville, TX: Texas Forest Service. 44 p. [16898]
24. Smeins, Fred E., Hinton, Johnny Z. 1987. Vegetation of the loblolly-shortleaf pine-hardwood type, Angelina National Forest, Texas. In: Pearson, Henry A.; Smeins, Fred E.; Thill, Ronald E, compilers. Ecological, physical, and socioeconomic relationships within southern National Forests; 1987 May 26 - May 27; Long Beach, MS. General Technical Report SO-68. New Orleans, LA: United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station: 31-38. [10174]
25. Stransky, J. J.; Halls, L. K.; Nixon, E. S. 1976. Plants following timber harvest: importance to songbirds. Texas Forestry Pap. No. 28. Nacogdoches, TX: Stephen F. Austin State University, School of Forestry. 13 p. [15292]
26. Stransky, John J.; Halls, Lowell R. 1978. Browse quality affected by pine site preparation in east Texas. Proceedings, Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. 30: 507-512. [14647]
27. Streng, D. R.; Harcombe, P. A. 1982. Why don't east Texas savannas grow up to forest?. American Midland Naturalist. 108(2): 278-294. [10120]
28. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982. National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names. SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p. [11573]
29. Van Dersal, William R. 1938. Native woody plants of the United States, their erosion-control and wildlife values. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 362 p. [4240]
30. Vines, Robert A. 1960. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the Southwest. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. 1104 p. [7707]
31. Watson, Geraldine E. 1986. Influence of fire on the longleaf pine - bluestem range in the Big Thicket region. In: Kulhavy, D. L.; Conner, R. N., eds. Wilderness and natural areas in the eastern United States: a management challenge. Nacogdoches, TX: Stephen F. Austin University: 181-185. [10334]
32. Wigley, T. Bently; Willett, R. Larry; Garner, Michael E.; Baker, James B. 1989. Wildlife habitat quality in varying mixtures of pine and hardwood. In: Waldrop, Thomas A., ed. Proceedings of pine-hardwood mixtures: a symposium on management and ecology of the type; 1989 April 18-19; Atlanta, GA. Gen. Tech. Rep. SE-58. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeast Forest Experiment Station: 131-136. [10269]
33. Wilson, Robert E. 1989. The vegetation of a pine-oak forest in Franklin County, Texas, and its comparison with a similar forest in Lamar County, Texas. Texas Journal of Science. 41(2): 167-176. [8771]
34. Wright, A. H.; Wright, A. A. 1932. The habitats and composition of the vegetation of Okefinokee Swamp, Georgia. Ecological Monographs. 2(2): 109-232. [17130]
35. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. [434]
36. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p. [20090]
37. St. John, Harold. 1973. List and summary of the flowering plants in the Hawaiian islands. Hong Kong: Cathay Press Limited. 519 p. [25354] 38. Cain, Michael D.; Shelton Michael G. 1995. Thirty-eight years of autogenic, woody understory dynamics in a mature temperate pine-oak forest. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 25: 1997-2009. [26164]