Winterberry

Winterberry (Illex spp.)

 

Size: 4-6′ tall and 3′ spread

Flowering: late summer

Fruiting: late fall and throughout winter

Birds: spring migrants including bluebird, thrasher, waxwings, flicker, catbird, mockingbird and robins.

From early fall through winter, Winterberry branches are covered in bright-red or orange fruits. The fruiting branches are great for decoration in the garden or in the house. Or leave them for the birds since over 40 species of birds are known to eat the fruit, including: bluebirds, thrashers, waxwings, flickers, catbirds, mockingbirds and robins. The leaves of Winterberries are thick and dark green and contrast well with the red fruit. The foliage stays healthy all summer and isn’t bothered by insects. The leaves drop off the plant in late fall to expose the beautiful berries.

NOTE: You’ll need both male and female plants to produce fruits, with one male for up to 6 nearby females. (Plant 1 male for every 3 females for better production) Plant in sun or part shade. They like moist to wet, slightly acid soils. Winterberries are native to North America.

Red Sprite – Female plant (Ilex verticillata) 2-3′ tall/3-4′ wide. Red Sprite is a compact shrub that stays small, making it easy to fit into a smaller landscape, mixed with perennials or as a low hedge. A female selection, this variety is covered in small greenish-white flowers in early summer that are followed by loads of 1/2-inch bright-red fruit that stay on the plant all winter. Its deep-green foliage is not bothered by disease or pests. Pollinated by ‘Jim Dandy’.

Gold Fruited – Female plant. This mid-sized Winterberry produces golden orange fruit in late summer that stays on the plant all winter until eaten by birds. A female selection, this variety has an upright, mounded shape with dark-green foliage that turns yellow in the fall. Pollinated by ‘Jim Dandy’

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Winter Red  – Female plant. A shade-tolerant female Winterberry, this plant produces loads of bright-red berries on a large plant that grows 6 to 9-feet tall and wide. Has rounded growth. The red berries will make this plant the focal point of your garden in the winter. Pollinated by ‘Southern Gentleman’

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Jim Dandy – Male plant. A male winterberry that is used to pollinate ‘Afterglow’, ‘Gold Fruited’ and ‘Red Sprite’ female winterberries (see these varieties above). You’ll see lots of very small flowers on this shrub, but no fruit. It has dark-green foliage and makes a rounded, compact shrub that grows 3 to 5-feet tall and wide.

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Southern Gentleman – Male Plant. A male Winterberry that is used to pollinate ‘Winter Red’. You’ll see lots of small flowers on this shrub, but no fruit. It has a rounded shape and grows 6 to 9-feet tall and wide.

Raspberry

Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus)

Size: 3-4′ canes usually in large swath of growth

Fruiting: July-August

Birds: late-Summer feeding of young such as red-headed woodpecker, robin, thrasher, and catbird.

Red Raspberry plants are broadly distributed throughout North America; most often found in open woodlands and streamsides growing from 3 – 5 feet tall. The juicy, red fruits ripen in July and August, and are very tasty to humans and birds. They are very low-maintenance plants, that prefer full sun to partial shade, and can tolerate a variety of soil conditions; though they prefer moderate moisture.

Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) has small, greenish-white petals that start appearing in late May to early June followed by their edible fruits appearing between July and August. They are most often found in forest or grove clearings, disturbed sites such as road crossings, woodland edges, or abandoned farm fields. The fruits are thought to be consumed by more that 150 species of birds and animals… including humans.

Elderberry

Elderberry (Sambucus spp.)

Size: 8′ tall with 6-8′ spread

Flowering: Throughout Summer

Fruiting: June – September

Birds: summer nesting such as thrasher, catbird, rose-breasted grosbeak, robin, and waxwing.

Elderberries are hardy, native shrubs that have great ornamental and fruiting value. They produce beautiful, large, white flower heads in the spring that are followed by large clusters of blue-black berries in late summer. They are relished by birds and are an important food source for fruit-eating birds like Robins and Cedar Waxwings. At least 120 species of bird eat the fruits of Elderberries! The berries also make great jelly, jam, pie, syrup or wine. Elderberries fruit more heavily when you plant two different varieties close together, such as Adams and York. They do well in sun or part shade and prefer moist, well-drained soil. They are easily pruned to shape.

American ‘Adams’ Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis Adams) 8-10′ tall/wide. Grows into a tall shrub with an upright form. It can sucker and will widen its range where planted. The bright-green foliage is rarely bothered by insects or disease. This variety was selected for its large clusters of dark blue to black fruit. Useful in background and naturalized plantings.

American ‘York’ Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis York) 5-12′ tall/wide. This large plant produces the largest size and quantity of fruit of all the Elderberries. It does well paired with ‘Adams’ Elderberry. Be sure to give it lots of room if planted in rich garden soil. It will stay smaller when placed in wildlife plantings where it may have to compete with grasses and other plants. Excellent hedge plant.

American ‘Cutleaf’ Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis Laciniata) 6-10′ tall/wide. This very ornamental Elderberry has deeply serrated leaves with an interesting “cutleaf” appearance, making it especially attractive. It’s a great substitute for Japanese Maple in northern climates. It produces large clusters of flavorful blue-black fruit.

 

Red Berried Elderberry (Sambucus pubens) 5-12′ tall/wide. This native Elderberry is very important to a wide variety of birds. It produces clusters of red fruit that ripen just about the same time that baby birds need them in June. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Gray Catbirds, Robins and other fruit-eating birds strip the fruit completely off these plants in no time once they ripen. It develops a vase-shaped form as it ages. Very hardy and can grow in full shade.