It's late summer and the beautyberries (Callicarpa americana) are turning from green to a beautiful purply magenta.
"Taken together with the foliage, beautyberry’s fruits comprise a multi-season larder for animals. The spring leaves and twigs are high in protein, providing excellent forage for deer. (This browsing rarely damages the plant, and for that reason beautyberry is sometimes described as being deer resistant). In summer through autumn, ripening berries, high in moisture and carbohydrates, are an important source of nutrients for songbirds, quail, and mammals. The latter include rodents, raccoons, foxes, armadillos, and opossums. Dried fruits, seeds, and bark continue to sustain these animals in winter months when other food is scarce. " - Georgia Native Plant Society
Not only beloved by the native wildlife, beautyberries also offer a late summer source of nutrition for humans, possessing carbohydrates, protein, calcium, phosphorous, and antioxidants. The berries are edible raw or cooked and make a beautifully colored jelly.
Additionally, the leaves contain the chemicals borneol, callicarpenal, intermedeol, and spathulenol which have insect repelling qualities. Crushed leaves when rubbed on the skin or made into a salve, helps to deter ticks, ants and mosquitoes.
I often have people asking if the Japanese or white beautyberries are edible and to that I say I know people who have eaten them and not died, but I can't speak to the edibility of them. If you have reliable documents, that discuss the edibility of Japanese or white beautyberry please share!
Here's a look at some common beautyberry species you have likely encountered. Note the subtle differences in the way the berries attach and cluster around the main stem.
Beautyberry Jelly Recipe - by Michael James Arrowood
A special thanks to Michael James Arrowood for sharing his meticulously written recipe with instructional photos.
Ingredients:
4.5 cups of washed beautyberries
3 cups of water
4.5 cups of sugar
3 tbs of fresh lemon juice
1 package of Sure-Jel pectin
Sanitized Jar
Directions:
1) Harvest and clean beautyberries (remove twigs, leaves, spiders, other bugs...). Rinse with tap water in colander.
2) Place berries in large pot on stove along with 6 cups of water (essentially to cover). Bring to boil on “high” setting, then reduce heat to maintain boil for 20 minutes (stir gently and frequently), remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Note: not necessary to mash the berries as they boil. The flavor/color extracts just fine
during the boil.
3) Line a sieve with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Pour the boiled berries into the cheesecloth-lined sieve; squeeze the cloth to get maximum juice extracted. May need to repeat this to accommodate the whole batch. Transfer “juice” to large bottle and store in refrigerator overnight. Pulp/seeds will settle to bottom of bottle.
4) Line a sieve/strainer with coffee filter paper. Decant “supernatant” juice to a temporary container. Pour/filter the cheesecloth-strained juice (with sediment) through the filter papers to remove the residual white pulp. Filter remaining “supernatant” through filters. Using an agitator (e.g. impact massager) to shake the strainer/filter will accelerate filtering. Adjust to ~6 – 7 cups, as necessary, with water. Discard the sieved berries, cheesecloth, filters, etc.. Note: I used ~7 coffee filters for this batch and collected ~7 cups dark, clear juice.
5) Pour ~7 cups of the filtered juice back into the large pot. Add lemon juice (will turn a brilliant fuchsia color). Gradually add pectin to the warm juice; and butter. Bring to a boil to fully dissolve the pectin, gradually stir in sugar, and continue to boil for 2 - 4 minutes. Since this is a double batch, the timing may be closer to 4+ minutes. The mixture will start to thicken.
6) Pour into 12 – 15 medium 8 oz. (half-pint) jars, or as preferred. Add seals and lids (finger tight).
7) Process the jars in boiling water for 5 - 10 minutes to sterilize and preserve. Remove, cool.
Seals should “pop” as jars cool. Re-tighten lids as needed. Store at room temperature or in refrigerator.
Beautyberry Leaf Mosquito Repellant
1) Harvest, wash, and coarsely chop American Beautyberry leaves and stems.
2) Place plant matter in a pot with 2 cups of boiling water and allow to simmer for 10mins.
3) Allow to cool and strain the brown liquid into a blender (about 1 1/2 cups).
4) In a separate pot, warm 1 cup of organic neem oil with 1 ounce of beeswax until melted.
5) Turn on blender.
6) Slowly pour oil mixture into blender with brown liquid until it forms a cream texture.
7) Perform a patch on skin test and wait 24 hours to check for sensitivity to cream.
8) Apply topically as needed but wash off by the end of the day to avoid irritation.
Disclaimer: I am not recommending that anyone use any plants topically or internally. I am not a doctor. I cannot ensure that if you choose to interact with a plant that you will not experience any undesirable side effects or allergic reactions. Nor can I ensure proper identification for you. Nor can I ensure your safety. It is ultimately up to you to do your own research and make your own call about what you feel is safe.