American Beautyberry is our most common native. It can reach three to six feet, growing upwards of nine feet in optimal conditions. This plant flowers in the summer in clusters of white pinkish flowers. The fruit of the plant is a berry, usually 2 to 5 millimeters in the round. These berries are completely edible, but only when ripe, and if we don’t eat them, they are important survival food for animals such as birds in the winter, as they persist even after the plant loses its leaves. Though highly astringent, these berries can also be made into wines and jellies. American Beautyberry has vibrant purple to magenta berries whereas the Japanese Beautyberry creates white berries, which are also edible. It is important to try a small serving of berries first, until you know how your body will acclimate, as some people report mild stomach upset after eating them.
Remember to make sure the berries are ripe, however, which usually occurs around late summer to the early fall before they become wrinkly and dry. They can be eaten raw, but author Mark Vorderbruggen reports that the flavor is slightly medicinal. He also recommends that their optimal use is to make a jelly. To do this, combine 1.5 quarts (or six cups) of berries with 1 quart (or four cups) of water. Boil this water for twenty minutes before straining out the solid material. Then add 4.5 cups of sugar and an envelope of Sure-Jell or some source of pectin, and bring the liquid back to a boil for two minutes, skimming off any foam and pouring the jelly into sterilized jars to seal. Mark notes that the jelly produced has a unique flavor akin to rose petals and champagne.
Furthermore, beautyberry also has some other uses. For instance, several different molecules have been found to be present in the leaves of beautyberry plants that contain mosquito repelling properties. In fact, the US army has done testing which revealed that these different compounds are similar to DEET in their mosquito-repelling abilities. Mark Vorderbruggen recommends rubbing the leaves on clothing instead of on bare skin, as these studies have not evaluated how humans are affected by these substances. A tea can be made from the roots and berries to treat colic and stomach upset and some Native American tribes even used the roots and leaves in their sweat baths for treating fevers, rheumatism, and malaria.
So remember, try and eat one wild food every day! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas on wild food plant articles or recipes please e-mail [email protected].