With names like Firethorn and Barberry these plants can't fail to grab attention.
Plants producing berries such as Pyracantha (Firethorn), Berberis (Barberry) and Cotoneaster provide a real treasure trove of options for the gardener. There are lots of berry bearing plants to choose from in your local garden centres and nurseries. This selection will help you get started on your search without resorting to an old pirate's map with an 'X' marking the spot!
Some Pyracanthas will produce enormous crops of brilliant berries providing an outstanding seasonal spectacle. For really striking effect consider putting two together. Pyracantha 'Soleil d'Or' will be laden with deep yellow berries from autumn onwards. Pyracantha 'Mohave' will put on a superb show of red berries to match. These plants can look great planted together on a shaded house wall or over a doorway. The seasonal colour and interest from this pair is non-stop. Being evergreens, Pyracanthas keep their leaves all year round; in spring both 'Soleil d'Or' and 'Mohave' bear tiny white flowers followed by their showy berries. Pyracanthas are especially striking on grey winter days when the berries are still present on many of the varieties. Another bonus is that they can attract birds for nesting and food. Imagine having your own tuneful blackbird nesting just outside the kitchen door in spring.
Barberry or Berberis is another of the berried treasures which are functional as well as beautiful. Some varieties are especially suitable for informal hedging and look stunning whilst providing a vandal resistant hedge. Berberis Darwinii again offers excellent value for money in terms of the varied interest it provides year round. This vigorous, arching evergreen shrub has spiny stems and glossy dark green spiny leaves. In mid to late spring you'll be able to enjoy a profuse show of small dark orange flowers. In autumn, blue-black berries follow. Berberis Darwinii can grow to an approximate height and spread of 3m.
You can also use Berberis Thunbergii 'Rose Glow' for barrier hedging or as an addition to a shrub border. Growing to an approximate height and spread of 2m, this compact, deciduous shrub has red-purple foliage and red berries. It can be used to good effect as an imaginative contrast to the shades of green foliage that tend to form the backbone of most shrub borders.
Cotoneaster is a favourite right around the country and as a hardy, low maintenance shrub, it's hard to beat. If you are looking for a quick hit with an abundance of colour especially in autumn, then seek out Cotoneaster X Waterii 'John Waterer'. This is a fast growing evergreen shrub reaching an approximate height and spread of 5m. Great in a shrub border, this plant will cope in most soils and do well in sun or semi-shade.
Plants with berries provide a lot of visual appeal, as well as a range of additional benefits described above. Autumn is the perfect time for planting, so why not get out and start treasure hunting soon?
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