Native berry producing plants?

13 years ago

Hi everyone, I live in Massachusetts (Zone 6) and I want to fill my yard with some bushes/trees etc. that produce lots of berries. It doesn't really matter what season they produce berries in, but I'd like to have a list of ones that have the longest range/period of berry prodicing times.

Thanks,

~David

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Comments (8)

razorback33
13 years ago
Some suggestions for some that are native in your area___

Trees/shrubs__

Ilex sp.
winterberry
inkberry
catberry
mountain holly
American holly
smooth winterberry

Berberis sp
barberry

Symphoricarpos sp.
snowberry

Photinia(Aronia) sp
red, black & purple chokeberry

Crataegus sp.
Hawthorn

Vines__

Celastrus scandens (be sure it's the native, not the invasive oriental one!)
bittersweet

Herbaceous perennials__

Phytolacca sp.
pokeweed

Arisaema sp.
jack-in-thr-pulpit
green dragon

I'm sure there are others found locally, that are unfamiliar to me.

Many species of birds depend upon the berries of native plants for winter, early spring food sources.
As the native habitat for these plants shrink, it's a great idea for us gardeners to try to provide some replacements!
Good luck!
Rb
Iris GW
13 years ago
And don't forget all the native viburnums.
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I, too, am a planted native of Western WA. Throughout my childhood and youth, I foraged for berries all over Western WA. Now, in my own garden, although the majority of my plants are non-native, I have a lot of native plants interspersed here and there, that have volunteered and that I have nurtured, including both red and evergreen huckleberry and oregon grape, trilliums, etc. I have had all the berry plants growing in everything from complete shade to lots of sun. From my berry picking days, to my own plants, I can tell you that, even though they will grow in the shaded understory of the forest, the plants that produce the most berries, by far, are the ones that get more sun, and the more the better. This holds true for the flowering currents. As a berry picker, you always try to find a good thicket at the edge of the woods, with an eastern exposure. They really like several hours of morning sun. Sun exposure between 2 and 4 pm can kill young plants, but once established they can take that as well, if watered properly. I have a volunteer evergreen huckleberry growing out of a log in my back yard, in full sun, that is happy as can be. It gets enough water, because it's near a hardy fuchsia. A caution on fireweed (if that is what it really is). I have lived in Alaska, also, where it could almost be the state flower. It is a root runner and can be quite invasive, especially here in WA, where it doesn't get the winter cold to keep it in check. Salal, also a native, is also a root runner, but it is very hard to get established, if not growing there naturally. I have known people, whose yards are backed by a large forested area, that absolutely hate it. Regarding soil....all our native plants do like a highly organic, slightly acid soil. I have extremely light, sandy soil, which dries out very fast in the summer. My success with the natives has come from giving them a good, deep mulch of medium shredded bark, with fines in it. In the years I don't mulch I can really tell they are not happy. Good luck!
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I have a lot of a Symphoricarpos that has violet berries. It's pretty but I have never seen a bird eating the berries. They just dry up and fall off. The best berry I have is a Silky Dogwood. I don't remember the scientific name right now. It has attractive, blue berries with a greenish overtone. The leaves turn red in the fall. The only drawback for me is that it's branches lean over and root where ever it touches the ground so we have to keep it trimmed back. But, it's worth every minute of the time we spend on it. So far, these are the birds I've seen eating the berries: Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Brown Thrasher, Catbird, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, House Finch, Song Sparrow, Swainson's Thrush, Wood Thrush, Robin and probably some I'm not remembering. These shrubs grow along the creek and to think, we almost got rid of them all when we first moved here!! I am SO glad we didn't! VG
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Hey everyone, thank you all for the helpful comments! These definitely aren't blueberries--they are quite firm despite the dark purple color and they do not have the same type of indent on the end as most blueberries (where the flower used to be). I was thinking it might be either a prunus or some kind of a serviceberry--but just wanted to make sure this wasn't something like a (poisonous) buckthorn.... Later this afternoon I'll cut one of the berries open to see what is inside, and maybe that will help narrow things down. The color in the picture is fairly accurate--fruit are dark purple, leaves are dark green with red/purple. This is some sort of an ornamental bush, too--someone planted it intentionally for looks, judging by the rest of the yard and the bush itself.
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Mine were marked down to 3 dollars (in bad shape) and all I did was cutting off the dead stuff. So I really don't know how they are supposed to look like. I should probably figure that out and start pruning them. I read somewhere that you should wait 2 weeks after they turn red to pick the fruit. I think mine taste like they are supposed to. Kind of a mix between pepper and tomato. I never had them before. Planted them because my daughter liked the juice we got at the grocery store.
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old_man_by_the_sea
13 years ago
You may also want to consider some of the Dogwood species:
Cornus florida - Flowering
Cornus mas - Cornelian
Cornus canadensis - Bunchberry

Other plants....

Mitchella repens - Partridgeberry (groundcover)

Actaea rubra -red baneberry
Actaea pachypoda - Doll's eyes, white baneberry
Actaea racemosa - Black baneberry

You might also check with your local County Extension Agent for recommendations.
If you have a nearby office of the Audubon Society amd/or the Wildlife Federation, they can also offer suggested plants to support wildlife.

Many thanks for your effort!
terrene
13 years ago
I live in Mass too, and over the past 2 Springs have purchased 130 native tree and shrub seedlings from the New Hampshire state nursery. They have a decent selection of native species, and the seedlings are inexpensive and very healthy. Their stock changes a bit from year to year, try to order early if you're interested.

All the species I chose will produce either berries, hips, or nuts for the wildlife and some are edible for people too. None of them have flowered yet, can't wait till they start flowering.

Here is a link that might be useful: NH State Forest Nursery
Iris GW
13 years ago
I got some Viburnum cassinoides from the NH State Nursery about 4 years ago. They came as small whips, 10 to a pack. They have grown and flourished and the ones in the sun have flowered and set fruit for the last 2 years now. The ones in the shade are a little smaller (and I may move them to a better location). All ten plants survived and thrived.
fatamorgana2121
13 years ago
You didn't say if you were looking for edible ones or not. Here's a few edible ones....

-Serviceberry. Attractive small tree/large bush. There are varieties known for their yummy fruit too.
-Blueberries. Need we say more?
-Elderberry
-Bearberry/kinnikinnick
-Cranberry

While not trees or shrubs, there are many native rubus (raspberry family).

FataMorgana
terrene
13 years ago
Esh, glad to hear that your Virburnum are doing well. That is interesting that seedlings grown in a northerly climate such as Zone 4 are growing well in your yard zone 7 yard. I would not expect the reverse to be true! Do you have some growing in dense shade or partial shade? I've read that the amount of fruits are directly related to the amount of sun.

I gave away about 30 seedlings and the rest have been growing in holding beds for 1-2 years. Full sun is a rare commodity in this yard and so are being planted into shrub borders in an open woodland situation - partial sun.

Here's some of the species I got -

Cornus racemosa / Gray Dogwood - these are growing GREAT, most are approx 3 feet tall already and a couple are 4! Can't wait to see the white berries.

Cornus alternifolia / alternate leaf Dogwood - also growing great, the only Dogwood with alternate leaves, the growth habit and shape of leaves are very elegant on this tree

Myrica pennsylvanica / Northern bayberry - can't say enough good things about these seedlings, very rugged and drought tolerant, the foliage is gorgeous, stays semi evergreen thru winter, berries on female plants

Amelanchier spp. / Serviceberry, seedlings are rugged, most had very nice fall color ranging from orange-red, and my older tree make delicious berries!

Sambucus canadensis / Elderberry - amazing growth in first year!! 4-5 feet tall. They are taking over the poor Serviceberries. Gotta move Amelanchier and thin these ASAP.

Viburnum lentago / Nannyberry - growing great, I will train most of these to a single trunk. Makes edible purple berries.

Corylus americana / American hazelnut - drought and shade tolerant. Nice range of fall colors. Edible nuts, supposedly the squirrels love them!

Rosa virginiana / Virginia rose - these are not growing too well, and are being eaten by something. Will move next Spring. Makes nice pink flowers and rose hips.
Iris GW
13 years ago
Hi terrene, the success of them in this climate does make you wonder, but V. cassinoides is native to North Georgia. Mine grow in partial shade, not dense shade. The more sun they get, the more flower buds they produce and therefore more berries (assuming good pollination).

I should get some of Cornus racemosa - the white berries would be an oddity for sure! That one is not native here, so I wonder how it would do.

Native berry producing plants?

Comments (8)

razorback33

Iris GW

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