French Mulberry, also called American Beautyberry, is a short shrub with opposite, deciduous leaves, pink-blue tubular flowers and bright purple berries that attach in rounded clusters around the stems.
Moist woods, coastal plains, swamp edges, bottomlands.
Native Americans used teas made from roots and leaves to treat rheumatism, stomach ailments, and malaria. The berries were also eaten. It grows in disturbed areas and serves a colonizing plant in damaged forests. Studies have found that French Mulberry contains a natural insect repellent.
Leaf length: 3.00-5.00 inches
Tree height: 3.00-6.00 feet
Where to find French Mulberry on the Louisiana State Arboretum Trails:
WAB - Walker Branch Trail 1.0
Refer to our Live Map to locate this species and its interpretative signage on the trail system.