American BeautyberrCallicarpa ame y – ricana | Insect Repellent & Cajun Folk Medicine Shrub

The Purple Jewel of the Louisiana Understory

American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) stops people in their tracks every fall when its branches erupt in clusters of vivid magenta-purple berries — one of the most striking sights in the Louisiana landscape. But this plant is more than beautiful. Traiteurs and folk healers used crushed leaves as a natural insect repellent, and the roots and leaves in teas for fever, rheumatism, and stomach ailments. It thrives in the dappled shade of bayou edges and woodland gardens.

• Light: Part shade to full sun
• Evergreen: No
• Maintenance: Low

Medicine you can see from across the yard. Plant it for the birds, the bees, and the bayou tradition.