Callicarpa acuminata Canopy Trees grass-like clump of narrow dark

grass-like clump of narrow dark green blades

red berries in the cooler months

Site the shrub in well-drained soil where the spines will not surprise a passerby

After the twin freezes of 1894 and 1895 laid waste to Florida's groves

The distinction from the close relative Cassia bicapsularis is worth understanding before planting both

Callicarpa acuminata Canopy Trees grass-like clump of narrow darkCallicarpa acuminata, the black beautyberry, is the Mexican cousin of the familiar American beautyberry, a deciduous shrub of arching branches that, in fall, lines the stems with clusters of small, shiny berries in glossy black rather than the usual purple. The dark fruit is a quiet, sophisticated turn on the beautyberry idea, set off by the green leaves and lingering into the cool months. Collected in Mexico by the late, great Texas plantsman Lynn