Look Closer
Purple 3
Posted by Viewfinder (Bradenton, FL, United States) on 7 November 2007 in Plant & Nature and Portfolio.
It was early October when I found these purple berries growing wild alongside a wooded area in North Port, Florida. Does anybody know what they are called? Please tell, because I really do not know.
Ironic sidebar: North Port, FL is about 40 miles due SOUTH of Bradenton. For some reason, that fact amuses me.
UPDATE: juant3 (see his comments below) has researched and identified this berry for us -- it is the American Beautyberry, part of the verbena family. Here's more. Thanks Juan!
@Newbie: I was amazed by the color when I first happened upon it.
@Images by KC Photography: Thank you, I think so too.
Josh from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Those berries look very juicy! Could've been brighter?
7 Nov 2007 6:07am
@Josh: Maybe could have been lighter, but I didn't process this. What light you see is from the flash; remember these were on the edge of a wooded area. They were growing at about 2 feet in height, and it was rather dark under the canopy of trees.
ColNed Pictures from Amersfoort, Netherlands
This on is my fav so far.. what a bright color.. it's screaming to me to eat them... lovely captured !
7 Nov 2007 8:16am
@ColNed Pictures: Thanks -- they do look delicious. But in reading the research juant3 found, I'm afraid that you'd be disappointed if you ate these. Apparently not very sweet -- even the birds leave them until there's nothing left to eat in winter.
tyan from Singapore
wow such a rich purple and juicy looking!i wonder if they are edible?Because if it is i am going to stretch my hand into the screen,haha.I love this post a lot,VF
7 Nov 2007 8:57am
@tyan: Don't grab them off my screen, tyan. But take wisdom from the birds, who I found out leave them alone until there is nothing left. Not very sweet, even if beautiful.
@Craiger: Thank you!
juant3 from Bremen, Germany
Very nice macro! The color of these berries are really great!
If what I found is right (I wanted to know the name too), these are called "American beautyberry". You can read more about them at FloriData: Callicarpa americana or Wikipedia: Beautyberry.
Hope that helps!
7 Nov 2007 10:13am
@juant3: Wow! Great help indeed. Thank you juan; I really appreciate your effort in finding this information. I had not one clue.
@vu@granby - gilles: I appreciate your kind affirmation.
Organik from Australia
Wow VF! What a stunning colour! The richness is beautiful! Excellent photo!
7 Nov 2007 12:13pm
@Organik: Blushing purple... gee, thanks O-Mum.
Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada
I now declare you the Honourable Minister of all Things Purple...man, this is wonderful! Like a still life oil painting, wow :)
7 Nov 2007 12:47pm
@Lorraine: :-D
Thanks Lorraine. As my first official act, I'll say there's more purple stuff yet to come.
tyan from Singapore, Singapore
Dear VF,thanks for your kind words at my blog today,i have left a reply which i have copied here for your convenience:)
thank you for your kind encouragement,dear VF. You are right,i just registered Caleb for kindergarten next year,and yes in a twinkling of an eye,they will grow up and have their own lives.I suppose its just that work and self esteem just seems to go so closely together that my confidence level just plunged after i became a stay home mom.I think i need to remember Whom my self worth is found and Who has the right to decide who i am and how much i am worth.
7 Nov 2007 3:43pm
@tyan: You are welcome tyan. The "world" does not understand your reasons for giving of yourself this way. The "world" is all about "self" and this "self" wants to rise up and be pampered and indulged. Choosing to love your children enough to defy "self" for a while, and deny its petty demands is not something the "world" wants us to do, because then our enslavement to self-indulgence would be exposed for the fraud that it most certainly is. You are choosing the right path. Consider Psalm 90:12 as your mission statement, Mrs. Stay-at-home Mom. And be glad and wise in your calling. There will be time for doing other things.
@Reza: So glad; I like your Irish girl's green.
@amy: Thanks! Seeing these growing on their original bush is almost like being given a big purple celebration for the eyes.
@M.E.: Appreciate your kind assessment, M.E.
MaryB from Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Georgous Royal Purple coloured berries, with a beautiful name to go with them! Great DoF, and the natural shade, from the forest, adds to the richness of the colour.
Beautiful VF :)
7 Nov 2007 7:31pm
@MaryB: Thanks much, MaryB. A royal compliment, I'd say.
@Tago: Thank you!
@tvm: :) :) :)
FC from NewYork, United States
Well, I am so glad I came upon this today. Definitely surreal looking.
7 Nov 2007 9:29pm
@FC: Glad you did too. It is real, unprocessed; this is the true color. I'd never seen one of these before.
Rebecca from Leicester, United Kingdom
Absolutely Amazing texture and colour. For more than a moment I thought this was a solid sculpture of grapes/berries (I mean this in the best of ways!). Such vivid purples, and no sense of squishy-ness at all. Truly Wow, dear VF.
7 Nov 2007 10:31pm
@Rebecca: How gracious you are, Rebecca my dear friend! These are the prettiest wild berries I've ever seen. I can see why you'd think of grapes, but they are actually much smaller than grapes in real life -- more like large mulberries or large blackberries in size. But alas, they are said to be bitter/astringent to the taste. So not all that is beautiful is also sweet.
@Nadine: Many thanks for your comment and for visiting at my site today.
@Takiyah: Thank you Takiyah. Glad you stopped over. I got nosy at your site and checked out "about" and was excited to see you are a Louisiana native, too! What part? My wife and I come from NOLA. How do you like life in Atlanta/Snellville? We lived in Conyers for five years. My impressions: Atlanta is BIG and the traffic is way more than I want to deal with.
Ken McCoy from Orlando-Daytona Beach, FL, United States
Very nice shot! You make them seem very juicy :)
8 Nov 2007 4:07am
@Ken McCoy: Don't know from experience, but I'm told their taste is pretty bitter. At least they look inviting... heh.
Me 2 from Pixel City, United States
very nice shot ...... looks like a shot for a set of your very own greetings cards !
8 Nov 2007 1:28pm
@Me 2: Or a Hallmark moment... lol.
Rabbit from Richmond, United States
an American Beauty IT is! I'm delighted in your purple finds!
8 Nov 2007 3:45pm
@Rabbit: I'm delighted that you are delighted, Miz Rabbit. Hope your day is going swimmingly. Weekend's comin'...
bronzebilly u.k. from Barry,Vale of Glamorgan, United Kingdom
Wow V.F.--superb colour and focus on this image,as other commentee's they do look really juicy--billy
9 Nov 2007 12:56am
@bronzebilly u.k.: Thank you, old friend. I will not offer you a bite; they may be pretty but according to the songbirds who frequent these woods they aren't very tasty. And those birds ought to know.
@Zing: Thank you Zing, and welcome to Look Closer!
Japanalia from Japan
This is right away gorgeous!!! Both the shoot and the colour! I love it!
Gabriela in Japan
11 Nov 2007 1:05pm
@Japanalia: Thank you Gabriela, I am very pleased that you like this and that you have come to visit this site. Come back often as you can!
ManuelaR from Hainburg, Germany
Wow! I have never seen those before, very interesting!
14 Nov 2007 11:39am
@ManuelaR: Neither had I. Thanks.
Suzanne Labbé from Granby, Québec, Canada
Juan,
I saw that plant few years ago and I felt in love with it. It was too nice. It was in Annapolis, MD area. I was trying to find it since then and last summer, I found 2 species that I have introduced in our garden. I hope it will succeed. The climate is colder here in Québec :o)
You will find more infos at this address : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beautyberry
This is a great picture.
Suzanne
14 Mar 2008 9:23pm
Nikon D80
1/60 second
F/5.6
ISO 200
138 mm (35mm equiv.)