Dried American Beautyberry Stalks Feed Wildlife

 

Hermit Thrush in American Beautyberry Bush

I've found that leaving my American Beautyberry bushes intact through the Fall and Winter provides food for wildlife. This is something my "neatnick" gardening friends would never consider. Dried up berries on stalks are untidy looking, but have brought in many birds. Carolina Wrens, Dark-eyed Juncos, Hermit Thrush, White-throated Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, and Eastern Phoebes are species that I've observed in my backyard. 

By the way, I have about 20 Beautyberry bushes. These include the original 3 given to me by a friend and the other 17 that are spontaneous volunteers "planted" by wildlife. My rural street has the bushes coming up on the roadside as well.

Dark-eyed Junco under Beautyberry Bush

Eastern Phoebe in Beautyberry Bush

Eastern Bluebird in Beautyberry Bush

White-throated Sparrow in Beautyberry Bush

The American Beautyberry is a native plant of the United States.