Coralberry, or buckbrush, occurs in every county of Missouri. Those new to native plants will see American beautyberry for the first time at our nursery and mistakenly think they have it growing all over their property; it's nearly certain they actually have coralberry. Its pink or coral-colored berries that form in dense clusters have a very similar appearance. Beautyberry is much less tolerant of cold winters than coralberry.

This is a smallish shrub that is easy to grow. It tolerates a range of conditions from sun to shade and dry to moist. It is common in open woodlands that may have experienced a bit disturbance at some point. Some sources indicate that the berries are edible, but they are unappealing and scarcely consumed. Even birds seem to turn up their noses unless their preferred foods have become scarce. As a last resort for nutrition, it does play a valuable role for wildlife as being a food source when nothing else is available. It can spread by seed and stolon to form dense colonies that provide cover and nesting sites. This ability to spread makes it useful as a groundcover, especially in trouble areas where other things fail to take hold.

If berries are desired, you should plant more than one as clones are unlikely to pollinate. Ours are grown from seed, so that isn't a problem. One of its common names is buckbrush, apparently due to its palatability to deer. 

Uses: Host plant for clearwing moths, wildlife, fall color, easy to grow
Bloom time: July to August

Height: 2 to 4 feet
Space: 2 to 4 feet

Sun: Sun to shade
Moisture: Dry to moist