8/31/07
"15 minutes of fame"
The rest of the year, our Beauty berry (Callicarpa americana), doesn't get a second look. Its flowers are pale pink, and so close to the stem that many people don't notice them. However, the berries are show stopping purple. Animals are slow to eat the berries (not as tasty as they look apparently) , which is nice for us to enjoy in the landscape. If you're at the Arboretum, look around these plants for rabbits and squirrels that are investigating them. Imagine a squirrel balancing on a stem like this to get the berries at the end.
