Callicarpa americana

Family: Vervain (Verbenaceae)

Description: A woody shrub to 6 feet tall or more. Leaves opposite, petioled. Blades ovate to elliptic, hairy below. The axillary clusters of small, light pink flowers of this scurfy-pubescent shrub are seldom noticed. However, the compact lavender pink to violet fruit clusters are quite showy in late summer and give the bush its common name.

Found: Primarily a species of the south-eastern United States it is found in pinelands, hammocks and roadsides.

Blooms: Spring through Autumn

Note: Widley used for ornamental plantings. Ripened fruit is used for making jellies, and mockingbirds enjoy the berries. Formerly used in the South for "dropsy". This plant has traditionally been paced with Verbenaceae but recent evidence indicates that it might best be placed with the mints (Lamiaceae).