Berry Good

One of the
things I enjoy most about the fall is the ripening of berries on many of my
shrubs.  Like fine jewels, these berries
adorn my plants, adding color and interest to the garden as well as a food
source for my feathered friends.  I love
how the berries extend the season and cause you to stop and admire the fashion
statement they are making.  Mother Nature
seems to know that we need a reason to pause this time of year, to take in all
the garden has to offer before it goes to sleep for another winter. 

Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Early Amethyst’ or Beautyberry is one
of my all-time favorite shrubs.  My Callicarpa is not very impressive early
in the season when I hack it back to within a foot or two from the ground.  But this hard pruning encourages heavy
flowering and fruiting in the fall.  Like
an ugly duckling that becomes a swan, Callicarpa grows from sticks into an elegant and sprawling 5 foot tall and 7 foot wide
shrub that steals the show in the fall when its pale pink flowers magically
become magenta berries.  The contrast of
the bright green foliage against the berries is a definite show stopper.  Much to my surprise, Mother Nature rewarded
me recently by planting a white-berried form of Callicarpa at the end of my driveway. Thank you Ma’am!

Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Early Amethyst’

My white Callicarpa planted by Mother Nature

A couple years
back I planted two different cultivars of Viburnum
nudum – Winterthur and Brandywine. 
While my shrubs are still young and relatively small, this year the
cross pollination resulted in a nice show of pink and blue berries, combined on
a single cluster. I can hardly wait for my shrubs to mature.  I’m confident I’ll be wowed by the
multi-colored berry clusters that will dangle on my shrubs like treasured
Christmas ornaments collected over the years.

Viburnum nudum berries

Another
wonderful berry producer is Ilex
verticillata, commonly known as Winterberry.  Ilex verticillata requires
that boys and girls meet up in order for berries to be present.  I have a ‘Southern Gentleman’ planted behind
five ‘Winter Red’ girls.  Apparently one
male can pollinate up to seven females.  Despite
not getting the consistently moist soil and lots of sun they prefer, my
winterberry are loaded with berries, at least until the birds consume them all.

Winterberry Holly berries

Yet another
berry producer is Skimmia japonica.  Like the Ilex verticillata, Skimmia is dioecious, meaning you have to have
male and female plants in order to produce fruit.  My group of guys and gals is located in a
shady corner of the garden where the evergreen leaves contrast nicely with the
red fruit. 

Skimmia japonica fruit

 

Viburnum x juddii
is known for is intoxicatingly fragrant flowers in early spring, but these
lovely flowers form berry-like drupes which ripen from red to black from late
summer to early fall.  I enjoy the multi-season
interest this shrub provides.

 

Viburnum juddii fruit