French Mulberry/American Beautyberry

Description:

French Mulberry (callicarpa americana) is also known as American Beauty Berry. Callicarpa americana is an open-habit, native shrub of the Southern United States. They become heavy with clusters of purple berries in early Fall. They can easily be found in the wild.

Notes:

French Mulberry roots, leaves and branches were used by the Alabama, Choctaw, Creek, Koasati, Seminole and other Native American tribes for medicinal purposes, including in sweat baths to treat both malarial fevers and rheumatism. The boiled plant parts were poured into a big pan that was placed near the patient inside a sweathouse. A similar decoction of the roots was used to treat dizziness and stomach aches. The roots were boiled with roots from Rubus spp. to make an infusion to treat dysentery. The roots and berries were boiled and drunk to treat colic. The bark from the stems and roots was used to treat itchy skin.