Holly bushes and Winterberry are often what we think of for fall and winter berries. However, there are some other great berry producing shrubs that do well in the Cape Cod garden in some surprising colors!
Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Early Amethyst’ – Commonly referred to as Beautyberry, this deciduous shrub produces amazing purple berries that are most prominent in October. This compact shrub will get to be 3-4′ tall and 4-5′ wide and does its best berry production in a full sun location. It will flower in the summer with clusters of small pink-lavender flowers, followed by the berries which ripen in September.
Symphoricarpos ‘Scarlet Pearl’ Snowberry – This stunning shrub produces an abundance of large pink berries that persist into winter after the leaves have fallen. It will grow to be 4′ tall and wide and will tolerate part to full sun. It has light pink flowers in the summer, followed by the berries. The stems are great for floral arrangements and will last about 2 weeks!
Symphoricarpos ‘Bright Fantasy’ Snowberry – This Snowberry is similar to the Scarlet Pearl but with bright white berries instead of pink. The clusters of white berries standout well against the foliage and will persist into winter after the leaves fall. It also produces light pink flowers in the summer and will get to be 4′ tall and wide.
Pyracantha ‘Yukon Belle’ – This has an abundance of white blooms in the spring against narrow, glossy dark green foliage. This is followed by berries which get to be bright orange and will persist into winter. It does best in full sun and works great as a barrier hedge or screen. It will get to be 8-10′ tall and 6-8′ wide if left unpruned, but it can also be sheared into a formal hedge or it can be trained to grow against a wall. You do need to be mindful of the thorns, they are sharp!
