when do beautyberry get ripe. I have a bunch that have ready turned a deep purple and I want to harvest them before the birds get them

Hi jolyn,
I had American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) growing in our yard in Daytona Beach many years ago. I've never eaten the berries myself because an elderly neighbor told me they would cause an upset stomach. If I remember correctly it was always October before the berries ripened in our area but ripening may differ in other climates and conditions.

Here's an informative article written a few years ago by one of our members: http://garden.org/ideas/view/w...