🌿 NATIVE PLANT OF THE WEEK ⁠ American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana, Zones 7-10) ⁠ ⁠ This low-maintenance deciduous shrub isn’t just nice to look at. The American beautyberry attracts and supports wildlife and contains historically used medicinal properties. This member of the mint family boasts long, arching branches that present small pink flowers in mid-summer, and purple berries in mid-September.⁠ ⁠ 📍 Native to the southeastern United States from Texas and Oklahoma to Maryland and Florida. It can also be found in the Caribbean and northern Mexico. ⁠ ⁠ 🌱 Grows between 3–5 feet tall and can grow just as wide! With favorable conditions—moist, well-drained soil and full sun—it can grow as tall as 9 feet. It grows naturally in the woods and thrives in moist areas like thickets and fence rows. ⁠ ⁠ 🐦️ American beautyberry seeds and berries are a great source of food for birds like the American robin, brown thrasher, purple finch, and eastern towhee. White-tailed deer also love to...