Thursday, September 9, 2010

What a Beautiful Berry

Isn't this the prettiest berry you've ever seen?



It's the American Beautyberry, a native plant. At our other house, we spent good money at a plant nursery to buy some of these after we saw them growing wild at Jekyll Island, Georgia. Unfortunately, what we bought was the (unlabelled) 'rare' white Beautyberry. When we moved to this house, we had planned to buy some of the purple ones but didn't get around to it that first spring. That August, we started seeing the purple berries everywhere, and found it grows wild by our pond.



I can't imagine why these aren't more popular.

I went to take the picture below, and didn't see the spider until I was right up on it.



These spiders grow wild down by the pond too. They freaked me out a little that first summer, but now I think they're gorgeous.

As long as they Stay. Out. Of. My. House.

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9 comments:

  1. Both the plants and the spider are beautiful. I'm starting to see a lot of the garden spiders too. I've never seen the berry before, but it is lovely.

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  2. I think the berries are beautiful too! How lucky you are that the grow wild and it looks like you have large quantities!

    As for the spider... I think they are beautiful too! But only when I know they are there, don't accidentally walk through their web, and DEFINITELY not when they are in my house!!!!!!

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  3. I'm really not sure why the beautyberry bush isn't seen more. The ones we bought didn't do nearly as well, though, so maybe they don't grow well for nurseries.

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  4. Those berries are beautiful!! I love the color. I'd hate to see the bird droppings from those though--I'll bet that is a mess.

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  5. Just blog hopping and found yours. Our stories are similar in how we ended up on a farm. I'm so glad we did and it seems you are too. The beauty berry is just gorgeous. Do you know what zones this will grow in? I would love to add it here in WV-I'm a zone 6.
    Going to look around your blog some more ;)
    Amy at Verde Farm

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  6. "Wannabe In The Country" has been included in this weeks A Sunday Drive. I hope this helps to attract even more new visitors here.

    http://asthecrackerheadcrumbles.blogspot.com/2010/11/sunday-drive.html

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  7. Your beautyberry shrubs are gorgeous and pretty enough that I think I might try growing more of them. I think the one I have growing now is the Japanese one. It originally had white berries but for some reason it now has purpley-red ones. The berries aren't in wonderful clumps like the American variety and the birds don't seem that interested in them either. It sure is a vigorous stinker though.

    Just found your blog through Rural Rambler's link. I really enjoyed your daily stories of what's going on around your farmette. :-)

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  8. I've just discovered your blog while googleling for pictures of 'dog fennel'. And your screen name 'wannabe in the country' got me interested since it sounds so like us right now! then kept looking at your gorgeous pictures and just HAD to subscribe after seeing so many interests in common. We are REALLY newborn farmers (about five months)and feel we've learned more in the last five months than in the last five years!!!
    So thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures and experience. I'm sure after I'm done typing I'll go back to your blog and learn some more :) As for the BEAUTY BERRY...I'm lucky to have some naturally growing in my property too, and learned at a meeting of the 'Native Plant society' that it is edible and even though it does not really has a lot taste to it it has medicinal properties and other uses for the whole plant. (you probably know all this already :}

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  9. :( just read that you closed the blog :( blessings too you on your new journeys.....

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