This arching, medium-sized shrub, an American Beautyberry, Calicarpa americana, is laden with luscious purple berries, though the berries won’t be on their stems for long.
Beautyberries are food for a host of critters, but in my garden, it’s mostly mammals and birds who love these ridiculously purple fruits. Recently I watched as a couple of young, peckish male House Finches spent time enjoying the fruits of the shrub’s labors.
As I observed their brunch munching, I didn’t think they were particularly messy eaters, but I guess berry parts and juice will get stuck on beaks.
I like this shot. It looks like the berry is speared onto the bottom of the bird’s beak. Well, who hasn’t had that problem?
Late summer, moving toward autumn, many berrying native plants here in Central Texas reach their zenith in food production and beauty. I grow only one beautyberry shrub, but two Roughleaf Dogwood trees, Cornus drummondii, have their homes in my garden. The older, larger tree’s berries ripened in August and were quickly made into meals, stems now reaching out as if they miss their spherical hats.
The younger, smaller tree still offers a few clusters of creamy fruits.
I find it challenging to get clear photos of birds as they dine at the dogwoods. Birds tend to stay in the center of the trees, reaching up or out to snatch the fruits. Plenty of foliage for hiding and nervous bird movements mean that the trees have their fruits stripped, while birds are relatively safe from prying eyes (and cameras) as they eat. This year, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, and European Starlings were the most frequent diners of the dogwoods’ treats
While it’s a win to catch decent photos of nibbling birds, I’m content to observe wildlife eating healthy, native berries from my garden. After all, feeding the wild things is why I plant what I plant!
My Gardener Says... 
Bounding into fruit season we are. The beautyberries in our yard look like yours, and the tunas on the neighborhood prickly pears are turning noticeably red.
Hints of cool seem to be coming earlier than usual this year, with a low of 61° predicted for Sunday.
It’s funny—at least to us—the way the beautyberry got impaled on the finch’s lower beak. Did you observe how long it stayed stuck there?
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I just love to see the fruits on various plants. Some of mine won’t turn color until much later (looking at YOU Possumhaw!) but I do love a plant that has fruit for the critters!
I saw the forecast! Woo-hoo!
I looked away the the little dudes flew off! So I don’t know if the bird managed to snarf the berry or if it fell off.
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Your photos are really good. I have a similar post ready to go and I had to take the pictures through my windows and between the blinds. House Finches do seem to love the berries. I also find in the fall the birds that frequent my feeders disappear. I think there are better seeds and berries in the woods.
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Thanks! I took these photos through my bedroom window and honestly, the photos were so much better than I expected! But I’ve done that too: tried to take photos, through blinds and windows. It ain’t easy. And of course, if I’d walked outside, the birds would have vamoosed! I am seeing migratory birds at the dogwood: two days ago, there was a Baltimore Oriole, today a Yellow-breasted Chat! Yay berries and birds!
Yeah, my feeders are seeing much less business, and that’s fine with me.
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Good news, your comments are making it. And yes, I would never get a photo from outside unless I sat still at a distance for a very long time. No patience.
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There’s nothing prettier than a nice spread of beautyberries. I was thrilled to find a few scattered branches at Dudney; there may be more, since some of them were just beginning to ripen. I’m perplexed by the fact that I’ve never noticed the dogwood. It’s shown as native everywhere that I visit, save far east Texas, and yet I can’t remember seeing its white berries. It might be a matter of timing, or it might be inattentiveness to berry-less stems! It might be that I’ve dismissed the trees with a glance, too — thinking that the white berries are Chinese tallow.
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They are really pretty. I’m always a little sad when the berries ripen and the birds gobble them up within a few days!
I’d never thought about it, but you’re right, the dogwood fruits do look like the fruits of Chinese tallow!
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A delicious (and beautiful) bounty!
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Thanks, Eliza!
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They are beautiful berries, and your photos of the birds eating them are fantastic. I have some Beautyberries here, too, and they’re just forming the berries, so it will be a couple of weeks before they’re ready for the birds. Enjoy the cooler weather. 🙂
Beth @ PlantPostings.com
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I’m sure you and your garden critters will enjoy them when they’re ready! It’s windy and cool as I write this!
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“Ridiculously purple” describes these berries well, Tina. They have always struck me as artificial as they are so different from other berries.
Your series of House Finch photos is very endearing. Watching birds feed can be so entertaining. And, as your words prove, very satisfying when we know that our plantings appeal to wild creatures.
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Like you, I thought that the berries looked fake the first time I saw them. That vibrant color and the metallic sheen, just really makes them look like they don’t belong in a natural setting.
I loved watching those two little dudes munching away!
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