American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is an attractive, common landscape shrub native to the Southeastern United States. It produces edible berries that can be turned into flavorful recipes as well as leaves that can be used as an effective mosquito repellent. Below, you’ll find out how to ID, grow, and use American beautyberries!
As a proud owner of several American beautyberry shrubs (Callicarpa americana), I absolutely love the vibrant splash of color these native plants add to my backyard. However, I recently noticed an increase in mosquitoes hovering around my shrubs, especially after rain or watering. Upon closer inspection, I realized the water collecting in the leaf axils was harboring mosquito larvae!
While mosquitoes themselves are annoying, their ability to transmit diseases makes it crucial to control them. In this article, I’ll share effective methods to eliminate mosquito larvae in beautyberry shrub water, creating a safer, pest-free outdoor space.
Understanding Mosquito Breeding Habits
Mosquitoes need stagnant water to complete their life cycle. Adult females lay eggs on the water’s surface, which hatch into larvae called “wrigglers.” These larvae feed and mature in the water for 5-14 days before transforming into pupae. After 2-3 days, the pupae emerge as adult mosquitoes, ready to bite, mate, and continue the cycle.
Any standing water can serve as a breeding ground, including water trapped by the overlapping leaf structure of beautyberry shrubs. By removing or treating this water, you halt mosquito development and reduce populations.
Draining Excess Water
One of the best ways to disrupt mosquito breeding is to eliminate the water itself:
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Trim back overgrown beautyberry branches to improve airflow and drainage
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Clear plant debris and mulch buildup to prevent clogged drainage channels
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Consider planting beautyberries in raised beds for better drainage
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Use a siphon turkey baster or pump sprayer to remove excess water
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Redirect downspouts and landscape runoff away from shrubs
Introducing Mosquito Predators
Certain insects and fish feed on mosquito larvae, providing natural biological control:
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Add mosquitofish (Gambusia spp.) to larger water sources
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Introduce dragonfly and damselfly larvae to rain barrels and fountains
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Attract birds, bats, lizards, and frogs to devour adult mosquitoes
Applying Safe Larvicides
When drainage isn’t possible, treat standing water with larvicides:
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Use BTI-based products like Mosquito Dunks® or Mosquito Bits®
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Try bacterial larvicides containing Bacillus sphaericus
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Apply horticultural oils to suffocate larvae and pupae
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Use juvenile hormone analogs like methoprene or pyriproxyfen
Implementing Other Mosquito Controls
To further reduce mosquito activity:
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Install weatherproof mosquito screens on rain barrels
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Use circulating pumps or fountains in birdbaths and ponds
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Apply neem oil or essential oils like clove, lemongrass, etc.
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Release sterile male mosquitoes to disrupt breeding
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Employ traps, CO2 attractants, repellent plants
Maintaining Vigilance
Getting rid of existing larvae is only half the battle. Prevent future infestations by:
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Checking for new larvae every 3-4 days
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Flushing out water after rains or watering plants
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Keeping gutters clean and properly draining
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Stocking mosquito predators like fish year-round
HOW TO GROW AND HARVEST AMERICAN BEAUTYBERRIES
American beautyberries are an attractive, low-maintenance shrub that’s ideal for growing in Southeastern landscapes.
Here’s the basic information you need to know before growing them:
Grows from Ag Zones 7-11.
American beautyberry shrubs feature a compact growth habit, maturing to about 5′ tall x 5′ wide. In ideal conditions (full sun, rich moist soil), they can grow much larger. The largest American beautyberry plant we’ve seen is about 8’ tall x 8’ wide.
We recommend growing American beautyberries spaced about 5’ apart, so they mature into a snug hedge. We also recommend growing them as a second or third row plant in an edible home landscape, with smaller plants in front.
American beautyberry plants prefer full sun and will produce the most berries when grown in full sun. They can tolerate partial shade, but will not grow well in full shade.
American beautyberry plants will grow best in well-draining, rich soils with high organic matter. However, they are robust plants that can tolerant a wide range of soil types including clay, sand, and loam. Likewise, they can also tolerate a wide range of soil pH levels, from 4.8 to 7.0.
Recommendation: Maintain a 3-5″ layer of wood chips/mulch on the soil surface around your American beautyberry plants to help maintain ideal soil conditions and biological fertility.
Young 1-3 year old American beautyberry plants will benefit from receiving 1” of water per week during summer via rain or irrigation. However, mature 3+ year old established plants have exceptional drought and heat tolerance, and will likely require no supplemental irrigation, even in summer.
Yes, we’ve seen American beautyberry plants thrive through an intense South Carolina summer drought. We had almost no rain for 8 weeks, and temperatures stayed in the low to mid 90s throughout. Nevertheless, mature American beautyberry plants survived with no irrigation — and still produced berries, albeit fewer and smaller berries than normal.
Conversely, since American beautyberries are native to the Southeast, they’re also very tolerant of heavy rainfalls and hot humid conditions.
The only thing American beautyberries can’t tolerate is extreme cold, hence why they have trouble growing below Zone 7. If winter temps regularly dip into the single digits or below, the plants could be killed — especially young plants, which are more vulnerable.
Anyone in colder zones intent on growing American beautyberries may want to grow them in pots, so the plants can be moved to provide winter protection.
In ideal conditions, an American beautyberry plant can live for 30 or more years.
Are beautyberries edible? What do they taste like?
Yes, beautyberries are edible. Raw fresh beautyberries are mildly sweet and have spicy notes somewhat similar to Asian five spice.
The fruit pulp is more pithy than juicy. Each berry contains a few small seeds which can also be eaten.
We’ve also found that different beautyberry species have slightly different flavors:
- American beautyberries are generally much more intensely spice-flavored and less sweet than Asian beautyberries. Due to their more intense flavor, we prefer American beautyberries for recipes.
- Asian beautyberries are generally much less intensely spice flavored but more sweet than American beautyberries. Arguably, this might make them better for fresh eating, but not as good for cooked recipes.
Beautyberries aren’t a fruit you’ll want to eat by the handful like blackberries or strawberries, but they can be used to make a number of very tasty recipes, which we’ll detail below.
A single mature American beautyberry plant can produce 3-5 pounds of fruit in a growing season.
American beautyberries are best harvested from fall through early winter. The entire fruit cluster should be fully purple/lilac in color when harvesting. Unripe fruit or brown/freeze-damaged fruit should be avoided.
Beautyberries’ flavor is best after nighttime temperatures start dipping into the low 40s and upper 30s, but before they’ve experiencing multiple deep freezes.
From late spring through early summer, beautyberry plants are covered in small clusters of inconspicuous flowers ranging in color from white to pink to purple. The flowers are quite popular with native pollinators (especially native bees), so you’ll enjoy a pleasant humming sound if you approach a beautyberry plant in flower!
Stop Mosquito Bites or Hatching Larva at Home
FAQ
What can I put in my plant water to kill mosquito larvae?
How do you kill mosquito larvae in water without harming birds?
How do you control mosquito larvae in water?
How do I keep mosquitoes out of my water plants?
How do you get rid of mosquito larvae?
The best way to get rid of mosquito larvae is by not giving mosquitoes a place to lay their eggs. Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, and eggs can hatch in 1 inch of water or more. That’s why it’s vital to get rid of standing water in pet water dishes, kiddie pools and anywhere else in your yard.
Do beautyberries repel mosquitoes?
There are about seven species in the genus, but only the American beautyberry ( Callicarpa americana) is native to the U.S. When crushed, the leaves of beautyberry are said to repel mosquitoes and other insects due to the presence of callicarpenol and intermedeol.
How do you get rid of budding mosquitoes?
If they are living in a water source that you can tip over or pour out, simply do so. Many times, however, there is no way to eliminate the budding mosquitoes without introducing something to the water. Here are a few natural liquids to use to snuff out mosquito larvae that you probably already have at home:
How to kill mosquito larvae in standing water?
If you want to kill mosquito larvae in standing water with regular household products, you can use apple cider vinegar, dish soap or shampoo. You can even use oils such as vegetable oil, extra-virgin olive oil or essential oils, like cinnamon oil. Although you can use bleach, you have to be careful because bleach can harm pets and wildlife.