Are serviceberry and beautyberry bushes the same thing?
A. Though they have many similar characteristics and are often confused, beautyberry and serviceberry are two distinctly different native deciduous shrubs. Beautyberry (Callicarpa) grows to between 4-10’ tall and 4-8’ wide, and is favored for its’ fall clusters of small bright purple or white berries that are each approximately 1/8 inch wide. Beautyberry prefers sun to part shade and is often grown at the edge of a fertile, well- drained woodland garden. Indistinctive summer flowers are followed by berries in the fall, which become focal points as frost kills the foliage. Naturally, these fruits are a favorite of the birds, and they give credence to the name Callicarpa which in Greek means both “beautiful” and “fruit.” Serviceberries (Amelanchier), on the other hand, grow up to 25 feet tall, have billowy masses of flower heads followed by dark purple fruits from June to August. In colder climates, the bloom time coincides with when the shad swim up the rivers to their spawning grounds,
