Winter berries are a great way to add color and interest to a winter landscape. There are quite a few shrubs which produce berries which are suitable for almost any garden.
Some berry producing plants require both a male and female plant. Hollies need a male plant nearby for pollination and berry production. Bayberry is another species where only the female plant produces berries when a male plant is available to pollinate it.
The Holly (Ilex sp.) family has several species which produce berries for winter interest. Hollies vary greatly in size and shape. Some grow to the size of small tree sizes, while others are small shrubs which grow to only a few feet. Determine what you need for your garden a find one which will work best for you.
Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) is prized for its dark purple, fragrant winter berries. Their berries have a waxy coating and are used in candle making. The bayberry grows along the seashore and is very tolerant of salt spray making it ideal for the seaside garden. It is also able to tolerate poor sandy soils.
Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea ‘Mohave’) is berry a producing shrub which is often grown on a trellis against a wall. Its bright orange berries, which attract birds in winter, stand out against an evergreen background and the barren winter landscape.
Mountain Ash (Sorbus Americana) and Washington Hawthorns (Crataegus phaenopyrum) are terrific small ornamental trees for gardens with limited space which provide colorful berries for winter interest and bird lovers.
Viburnum (Viburnum sp.) a deciduous berry producing shrub is available in a number of variety. For instance the ‘Blue Muffin’ Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum ‘Christom‘) produces bright blue fruit, the Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) produces dark blue berries while the American Cranberry Bush (Viburnum trilobum) produces a vibrant red berry.
A note on including berry producing plants in your garden: birds are attracted to red berries first so fruit on shrubs with blue, yellow or orange berries may last well into the winter.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
