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Plant of the Month
from The Cattleman - July 2022
by tscra
WHAT PLANT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE MONTH OF JULY?
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
By Kent Ferguson Photo by Sally and Andy Wasowski, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
American Beautyberry is a native, warm-season, perennial shrub found in most areas of the state, except the western regions. It’s also known as French mulberry, Sourbush, Turkey berry, Spanish mulberry and several other localized names.
The American Beautyberry: • Can grow more than 10 feet tall, but 4 to 6 feet is most common. • Is a multi-branched shrub with gray to reddish twigs. The stems can be round or square shaped, characteristic of the Verbenaceae plant family. • Has simple leaves that are opposite, oval or elliptic with saw-toothed margins. They are 2 to 5 inches wide, 3 to 9 inches long, and dark green on the upper surface. On the lower surface, leaves are pale, rough textured with star-shaped hairs. • Will have pinkish-white flowers growing from the leaf axils, staking in clusters up the stem. • Will form bright violet or purple fruit from the flowers’ clusters, encircling the stem.
American Beautyberry is a palatable plant for browsing animals, and the seed is eaten by turkey, deer, quail, most songbirds and small mammals. It can be eliminated from the landscape by overgrazing. Rotational grazing and proper stocking rates should be in place to ensure the plant’s survival.
The American Beautyberry can be cultivated by cuttings and is gaining popularity in home landscapes. T C
Kent Ferguson, a retired rangeland management specialist from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, provides plant identification photo stories to help ranchers.
Hwy. 90
(toward Anderson) & FM 3455
Serving area cattlemen for over 50 years.
2022 Weaned Calf Sale Dates
August 31, 2022 – Calves must be weaned by July 2, 2022
October 26, 2022 – Calves must be weaned by August 27, 2022
November 30, 2022 – Calves must be weaned by October 1, 2022
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Goat Sale Saturday at 10:00 a.m. – Cattle Sale Saturday at Noon For Information: Navasota Livestock Auction 936-825-6545 or 936-661-8432 Greg Goudeau
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