During the winter, many of our landscape plants produce beautiful eye-catching berries. And three of my favorites are natives that require very little maintenance.
One of the most underused natives is the parsley hawthorne. This member of the rose family is considered a small tree or large shrub. It’s certainly among the showiest plants in the winter landscape with is scarlet red fruits.
Another great native is the possum haw holly. It gives us some of our best winter color.
This holly is known as Ilex decidua or deciduous holly because it loses its leaves in the winter. But, it leaves a bounty of bright red to orange berries that stay around all winter. The berries provide color for the landscape and food for the birds.
One well-known horticulturist said you could garden for twelve lifetimes and never see an insect or a disease bothering the possum haw holly.
Another great berry-producing native is the yaupon holly. It’s an evergreen tree or shrub that’s great in the sun or the shade.
Look for a variety like Kathy Ann, a Mississippi Medallion award winner. It has an upright growth habit, glistening white bark, and it’s considered a champion when it comes to bright- red berry production.
These native, berry-producing plants are beautiful, they’re also critical for wildlife, and they’re adapted to our soil and climate so give them a try. I’m Norman Winter for Southern Gardening.