It’s hard for most people to imagine shrubs and trees showing color and/or interest in the cold Winter months, but it is possible with the right choice of plants.
Another advantage of choosing shrubs or trees that carry berries in the Winter time is, of course, that many of them will provide another food source for birds. (Almost the total opposite of killing two birds with one stone!)
The most obvious, and probably the one that comes first to people’s minds, is Holly (Ilex spp.), and there are several great choices in the Holly family for providing Winter berries
For example, a good choice for a profuse berry bearer which stays slightly smaller in stature is the Needlepoint Holly(Ilex cornuta ‘Needlepoint’).
This shrub will reach an average size of 8×6′, though it can get larger with maturity. It stays evergreen, and is simply covered in berries throughout the Winter.
The one note of caution with needlepoint Holly is, as their name implies, that they have a very sharp leaf tip, and that should be kept in mind when choosing a planting site.
Of course for something a little larger there are also some great choices available, such as ‘Robin’ – which has a similar look to ‘Nellie R. Stevens’, but doesn’t grow nearly as big (12-15′ high), or for a tighter looking shape a good choice might be ‘Christmas Jewel’ (pictured)
Another Holly that’s often overlooked is Winterberry, which puts on a great show of Winter berries, and the fact that it loses it’s leaves in the Winter in many ways adds to it’s beauty.
Pyracantha is another superb choice for Winter color, with it’s profuse, bright red berries. This one is also a huge favorite of Mockingbirds!
Enough of the red berries already? Don’t worry, there are other choices!
How about the beautiful, irridescent berries of the Beautyberry? This shrub forms it’s berries in the late Summer/Fall, and they persist for many months, adding a great touch to any landscape.
Good old common Privet (Ligustrum spp.) is also a great choice for Winter berries, with it’s deep purple, almost black berries. At maturity the berries will become so profuse that they look like clusters of grapes hanging from the plant.
So there you go, just a few ideas for adding some “berry beautiful” plants to your Winter landscape. It’s always a good idea to think about all four seasons in your yard, and adding berry bearing plants is just one more facet of that thought process.