Growing American Beautyberry - Native Edible

[@faithcarr9621]

Beauty Berry leaves are a natural mosquito repellent! The Seminole Indians them crushed them and rubbed the oils on every exposed skin surface. And it actually Works! With these caveats. 1. It doesn't last long. You have to keep rubbing them on. 2. I found it difficult to extract the oils to make a spray. Lots of recipes on the web. 3. They have tiny hairs that might irritate the skin. Anyway, I'm propagating multiple bushes along the pathway of my small homestead.

[@87elnetta]

Just found these in my backyard in my clay dirt! I’m sooo excited!

[@BBQNBLUES]

LOVE this Native plant ! Constantly recommending to local gardeners here in Memphis 💜

[@vdoniel]

These are native in Georgia. I have admired these lovely plants all my life. However I was taught they were poison to humans and most people I knew treated them as weeds. Well here I am at 66 years old learning other people admire and grow these "weeds" thanks to the www.

[@WalksWithWillow_13]

I saw these beautiful berries out the corner of my eye in the back yard of our new house. They are lovely and I hope to propagate more all around ❤

[@eCoArise]

well done video, thanks for this! I pour hot water over berries and steep them for a nice, aromatic tea. Yum!

[@finchcomic]

I've been making wine and mead with my beauty berries.

[@PlantLifeYT]

We likely will too as well as jams and muffins :)

[@bredrenpauly2710]

I have this bush in shade, full sun, next to a creek... This bush grows in my clay soil well and no fertlizer. Great species

[@arielsmadhaus1819]

I just discovered these in my back yard! I've been looking around for this fruit for a long while. And to my surprise, I look in my back yard and see the beautiful bundles of purple berries! Of course I had to harvest some. I want to start a garden to attract more birds... Unfortunately I don't think my neighbors will approve of this after a while

[@PlantLifeYT]

You can combine different native plants along with habitat providing shrubs and simple water features such as bird baths to give your feathered friends an inviting environment without irritating the neighbors.

[@RealBradMiller]

Love this plant! They pop in the landscape. Great video.

[@PlantLifeYT]

Yes they do! Thank you for watching!

[@prettybird2588]

What a lovely video

[@thecastorbean]

I’m here because I saw these in my garden center two years ago and have been dreaming of planting them since. I finally have a planting site and I’m determined to plant them with some native oak leaf hydrangeas this year. I want them so bad!

[@PlantLifeYT]

Wonderful! Sounds like an attractive combination! 💚

[@mayabluenature]

Hi and thank you for your valuable info. Just moved to Alabama - Georgia border and have some in my yard. Great job on your video, I would say a short stunning documentary about beautyberries. Blessings always 🙏

[@PlantLifeYT]

Thank you!

[@heppcat]

Just planted one of these in my yard (thanks to free plants given through Palm Beach County's Native Canopy Educational Program). Can't wait 'til they mature! [Red-bellied woodpecker @1:25? Hope to see some more of them, too!]

[@JamesWilliams-sx8dh]

Jelly made from these is very good. Has its own flavor, if that makes sense.

[@PlantLifeYT]

Yes! I am looking forward to when I can harvest enough to make jelly.

[@mythic_snake]

I walked out my front door today and was surprised by a crop of beauty berries that I did not plant! I hope I have enough berries to make something delicious.

[@PlantLifeYT]

That is awesome!

[@kathunter8058]

We have these in NJ. I've had one for quite a few years.

[@nctrailcam81]

I planted 1 bare root in central NC. For about 3 years it did nothing. Now, it is 5 or 6 years old and at least 8 feet tall. It is competing with some other shrubs that got bigger than I expected, which may account for the height. Each fall, it is covered with beautiful berries. They don't seem high up on the list for my wild life (who have lots of options on my property), so I was wondering if I could find ways to eat them.

[@iartistdotme]

Steam juicing the berries makes a fantastic juice for making jelly and syrup. I've had it daily for breakfast over yogurt for almost 20 years. I adore the slightly honey flavour and especially the color in my yogurt.

[@melmel5751]

Hoy Encontre Una En Mi Patio Trasero Son Realmente Hermosas Y Soy De Fl ✌️ Bendiciones

[@rebeccareed1874]

Any news yet on getting a wine recipe for these? I've made jelly and love it, but they do lose a lot of their beautiful color when they are cooked down into juice. I am hoping that mashing them with sugar to draw out the juice and not introducing heat will help keep the bright magenta. Can't wait for the update!

[@PlantLifeYT]

We haven’t tried yet, sorry. Still harvesting!

[@rebeccareed1874]

@@PlantLifeYT I started some 9/20 and will report back. So far the color is fantastic (very pink/red, not purple at all) but I’m brand new to wine making so I’m nobody you want to take guidance from. Lol

[@Josef_R]

@@rebeccareed1874 how did it go?

[@MercifulFamilyFarms]

Very interesting

[@kris-sama666]

I bought some of these seeds online from a small business called PottedGem and I'm so excited to plant them for all of their wonderful purposes I can use them for, as well as all of the local wildlife to eat right in my yard! I live next to lots of wooded areas so I'm hoping to spread these wonderful plants far and wide in my area which they're native to. Shockingly I've never seen them before around here! (I live in south Missouri, super close to Arkansas, so it's native)

[@PlantLifeYT]

Sounds great!

[@silver-phoenix]

A family member has grown a well established beautyberry plant in a large pot, been in there for few years, and gave it to me. When I brought it home...few days later the leaves all turned brown :( It was perfectly fine, beautiful green leaves 🍃 & the bright 💜 purple berries. Any ideas what caused the leaves to turn brown...what can I do to bring it back to life? TIA ☺

[@BestyetJourney]

Thank you xoxo

[@tjdeleon13]

Hello. I planted from seed last summer and they are just now popping up. They look too small (maybe 1 inch) to plant. Can I keep them alive inside this winter? Or should I plant them and see what happens?

[@PlantLifeYT]

It depends on your particular area. If you normally get frost then bringing them inside might be the best option.

[@majohns7462]

I live in North Alabama , and I have one growing in my front yard that I didn't plant . It is very beautiful this time of the year in October .

[@shadmoney6617]

I live in North Alabama as well. I was recently working a job in the woods in Lawrence County and they are everywhere. I heard they are a good mosquito repellent.

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

What a gorgeous addition to a garden or food forest! What are the lowest temperatures this plant will be able to survive in during winter?

[@PlantLifeYT]

It can be found as far North as Maryland and is listed as both cold and heat tolerant. It is rated for USDA zones 7 - 11. There is another variety that is rated for zone 5.

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

@@PlantLifeYT - So it tolerates frost? Yay!

[@PlantLifeYT]

Supposedly but we get very little of that here anyway.

[@plantsim]

Great info!

[@d4akanevertheless321]

Lovely!

[@MrTaylorfenoglio]

Ok so my kids aren't going to die today. Got it. 😂

[@jesusoftheapes]

How do they last in northern climates? I'm looking for Deer food .

[@PlantLifeYT]

This plant is distributed throughout the southeastern United States from Texas and Oklahoma east to Maryland. Zones 6-10. So if you are farther North this might not be the best choice.

[@LooneyBinAdventures]

Is there anything else that looks the same but isn't edible? I'd like to try these but I'm afraid I'm in hot springs arkansas

[@PlantLifeYT]

There isn’t much that looks like Beautyberry. Make sure the plant you are harvesting from shows all the similarities, not only some of them. This goes with any plant.

[@JanitorialMachine]

I spent my entire childhood avoiding these, always though it was toxic.

[@lindaahlgrim1331]

Whenever I am outsdide & there are mosquitoes I have always crushed the leaves & rub them on exposed skin & clothing.

[@PlantLifeYT]

I have plants strategically placed throughout my various gardens that I can use for the same purpose. So much more pleasant than commercial sprays!

[@perino2154]

Vocês enviam para o Brasil?

[@PlantLifeYT]

I am not a storefront so I can not ship plants, seeds or cuttings anywhere. Sorry!

[@perino2154]

Obrigado! Vídeo maravilhoso!

[@hosta127]

Could I plant the seeds without “seed rinsing”? I did that in my blender but I think I chopped up the seeds too. 😮

[@PlantLifeYT]

Chopped seeds don't tend to sprout well as they are damaged. Seed rinsing aids in limiting mold as mold spores can inhibit sprouting as well.

[@hosta127]

@@PlantLifeYT thank you. My question was, can I just plant the berry with the seed still in it and will the seed sprout?

[@PlantLifeYT]

It is possible. Nature would have a bird or other animal eat that berry and then "deposit" it to grow. This would naturally create an environment that would keep mold at bay and have plenty of material for the seedling to grow in. As mentioned before, using the whole berry does increase the potential for mold.

[@hosta127]

@@PlantLifeYT Thanks again. I tried seed rinsing again in the blender with better results.

[@selmawrightson6949]

Will they grow in wet areas

[@PlantLifeYT]

It doesn’t mind “wet feet” so depending on how wet the area stays, it should be fine.

[@borimirtheboring]

Now I have the desire to listen to The Grateful Dead album of the same name.

[@Joeybagofdonuts76]

Aah, magenta.

[@spankynater4242]

When they attack the car, save the radio.

[@erinhoagland1607]

Ya, you didn't include Kentucky on your map. It grows here.

[@PlantLifeYT]

Good to know! Research is conflicting as to whether it is suitable for that region so thank you for letting us know first hand that it grows well there! 🤓

[@benknotes9450]

Moar Natives!!!

[@zuditaka]

It looks a bit Lantana-ish! lol

[@PlantLifeYT]

It does look a bit Lantana-ish, doesn't it? However it has a much more leggy growth pattern than Lantana.