How to Choose Shrubs for Colorful Fall & Winter Berries

Four-season interest! That's the latest trend for selecting garden plants. Sure we want evergreen or fall color. Who doesn't like flowers? Take your landscape farther with brightly colored berries that extend the garden color through winter. Here's how:

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
    

   Choose your location for this new garden shrub. It could be an addition to a garden bed, a special plant for a new garden, or even for a pot.

2. Note the conditions: Full sun or shade? Is the soil well drained or heavy clay? How big can the plant get?

3. For shade:
   
   Skimmia japonica gets 2-4 feet tall and wide, with glossy evergreen leaves and clusters of red berries. (You'll need at least 1 male for 4 female berry producers)
   
   Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) another evergreen with glossy dark green leaves. When a leaf is crushed it releases the wintergreen aroma. Only grows 6 inches tall and has plump red berries birds like to eat. Needs well drained soil.
   
   Sarcococca can grow 1 to 8 feet tall, depending on the variety. It has glossy evergreen foliage and a strong vanilla fragrance to its flowers that bloom in late winter or early spring. The berries droop under the foliage and they look jet black.

4. 
    
   Kinnickinnick

   Some plants that can handle sun or shade:
   
   Nandina domestica is one of my favorites. Classified as a partial evergreen, meaning that the plant sheds some leaves during the season; the overall color is a mix of light green, red, and orange. This plant can tolerate any soil and any light and it holds onto clusters of red berries for a long time.
   
   Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) grows 8-12 feet and its large glossy green leaves can be sheered into a hedge. The giant berries start out white, and then turn orange, and finally red. The fruit is a favorite for Robins who have just returned in the spring.
   
   Elderberry (Sambuca) has so many different varieties from variegated to black. The shrub grows quickly to 12 feet tall, but can be cut back every year to keep it closer to 6. Clusters of red, blue, or black fruit can be eaten but the bland flavor is more loved by the birds.
   
   Evergreen Blueberry (Vaccinium ovatum) has pretty green foliage tinted with rusty orange new growth. The blueberries are edible and sweet. 6 foot tall.
   
   David Viburnum (Viburnum davidii) has large thick evergreen leaves. The clusters of blue berries hang on all winter before birds eat them in the spring. 3 feet tall and wide.
   
   Kinickkinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is an easy to grow, non-invasive ground cover. Tiny evergreen leaves compliment the red winter berries. Only 6 inches high.
   
   Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) grows 5 foot tall and spreads into clumps or thickets. The tiny leaves fall away and showcase the pure white berries that birds love. There is no other berry like it.

5. 
    
   Firethorn

   The sun lovers:
   
   Firethorn (Pyracantha) can grow to 12 feet tall and can be pruned or even espaliered to keep at around 6 feet. Small evergreen leaves hide the sharp thorns; this is a good one to plant under windows that you don't want someone crawling through. The entire plant looks like its on fire when the orange or red berries cover the plant through the winter.
   
   Cotoneaster (pronounced ca-tone-ee-ass-ter) comes in all kinds of varieties from a 6 inch tall ground cover to a 12 foot tall shrub. The one thing they have in common is berries! You can find one to suit almost any site. Evergreen or deciduous with excellent fall color.
   
   Beautyberry (Callicarpa) has amazing purple berries that almost look fluorescent. The shrub grows 8 feet tall with spring flowers that are the same vibrant purple color.

6. 
    
   Beautyberry

   A few shrubs that grow more like trees:
   
   Serviceberry (Amelanchier) has beautiful fall color. Once the leaves are shed they reveal plump black berries that attract winter migrating birds. 25 feet tall, you can find them with a single or multi trunk.
   
   Holly (Ilex) is a very recognizable evergreen with Christmas red berries. You need to have a male to pollinate the female if you want those berries. Most varieties grow 25 feet tall, but you can find some that are only 2 feet tall (variety: Little Rascal). Easy care plant with new cultivars being bread all the time.
   
   Dogwood (Cornus) comes in groundcovers to trees. This is another group of plants that has a different variety that could fit a host of circumstances. Cornus mas (cornelian cherry) have bright yellow spring flowers, excellent fall color, and bright red berries bird love.

Tips & Warnings

• Research by "googling" the name of the plant. Click on images to see what the plant looks like at different times of the year.
• Many nurseries are stocking these winter berry producers hoping to entice you to stop by. As long as the ground isn't frozen solid, fall and even winter is an excellent time to plant.

Resources

• Trees and shrubs for year round interest
• Plants for colorful fall foliage

[MIghtyDreamer]

on 10/28/2008 Interesting assortment of plants and ideas.

[luv2blog]

on 10/27/2008 Excellent article. 5 stars!

[JulieMayfield]

on 10/27/2008 Great advice for colder climates. Can't wait to look into some of these.

[GreenGardenChic]

on 10/27/2008 Thanks for all of the comments. WriterGig, some of these berries are poisonous to kids and kids should be taught to never eat any berries that they find in the wild. Of course we know that holly is a toxic berry, but even the unripe sambuca berry is poisonous to kids, though the ripe berries are delicious and commonly made into jams. (Here is a pretty comprehensive list I found online for poisonous berries: http://hancock.osu.edu/hort/mgpdf/cabc2004revised.pdf).

And jpwriter, all of these plants are hardy to the PNW.

Thanks again, GGC.

[LilacGirl]

on 10/27/2008 Good suggestions for a colorful all year garden and yard.