GARDENER'S READING ROOM
The Art of Gardening
Trees and Shrubs

Berried Treasures

Fall brings with it the turning of leaves to dazzle our senses. As winter approaches, we in the Northwest are not used to a stark look. We search for something to tickle our senses. Berried plants have long been a source of visual pleasure during our brief winter. For ages we have used them to decorate our homes both inside and out.

There are varieties for every yard, from diminutive groundcovers to 20-foot trees. Let’s start with the smallest. Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is an American native that loves both shady and sunnier areas. The rather large red berries are carried through winter, contrasting nicely with the glossy evergreen foliage. This groundcover was used by Native Americans both as a painkiller and as a food flavoring due to its intense wintergreen essence.

Cotoneaster

Stepping up in size just a bit, the Cotoneaster family contains enough red-berried varieties that this whole article could be devoted to them! I’m going to give you two great performers. The first is the deciduous Rock Cotoneaster, C. horizontalis. With its herringbone branching structure and bright red fall color, the beautiful berries are almost an added bonus. My favorite for this one is the variegated form. A much larger plant (up to 6’) is Parney (C. lacteus or C. parneyi). This evergreen form with its long, arching branches makes a great architectural statement placed at the top on a wall or bank. Spring brings large clusters of white flowers. These form into brilliant red berries that persist through winter.

Callicarpa

Let’s talk about a couple of non-traditional berried plants. It’s nice to step away from red berries. Beautyberry (Callicarpa) almost ranks as unearthly with its violet bead-like berries in fall. They lend themselves well to fall floral arrangements. This rather rangy plant can be maintained by pruning.

Symphoricarpos

Our native Snowberry (Symphoricarpos) lights up the fall with its white berries. The world of Snowberry has become even more interesting with the introduction of new hybrids. ‘Charming Fantasy’ is tinged with pink; ‘Scarlet Pearl’ is adorned with red/purple berries. These hybrids are carefree with a desirable growth habit.

Pyracantha

But let’s not forget some traditional beauties. Pyracantha, being both evergreen and very trainable, lends itself to many different applications in our yards - as shrubs, groundcovers, espaliers, or hedges. Choose from bright orange, red, or even yellow berries. White flowers cover the plants in spring as a bonus. Holly (Ilex) has come a long way from plain old English Holly. Hybrids such as ‘Ebony Magic’ or ‘Blue Girl’ provide dense lustrous foliage and scads of traditional red berries (when a pollenizer is near) while being highly manageable.

Arbutus unedo

Fruit versus berries? Since they are essentially the same thing from an ornamental point of view, I’m going to include a few! Dogwoods such as Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) and Asian Dogwood (Cornus kousa) provide red fruit which hangs on after the fall foliage color show. Both are a treat to the senses! Compact Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) delights us with yellow turning to red fruit in the winter months. The snowy urn-shaped flowers are displayed at the same time, for our pleasure and the hummingbirds’! This evergreen has a long list of desirable attributes - check it out!

The number of winter interest berried plants is much longer than I can cover in one article. Come in and let one of Sky’s nursery people guide you to one that is best for your garden’s needs. And remember, you are also helping our wild friends by planting these beauties - berried trees and shrubs provide food in the cold season.

By Bill Bloomfield
Skylights Autumn 2006 Vol. 21, No. 3

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