The two that come to mind are Nandina and Holly. There are so many different types of holly and virtually all of them grow here. There are also hollys that lose their leaves leaving you with naked stems and tons of red berries.

hmmm sounds like nandina domestica - "heavenly bamboo" ...
it can be propagated from cuttings taken in the summer.
i've got several in my yard and they're all volunteers.
they're considered invasive in warmer zones.

Cotoneaster?

I'm betting you've got a variety of holly, but it could very well be Nandina domestica or Pyracantha coccinea. Try some searches in Google images to see if you can find a match. Or....if you have a digital camera, post a pic and you'll get a really quick ID!

Most woody ornamentals are propagated by stem cuttings. Here's an article from the NC State Horticultural Information Leaflets on the method for propagating this way:

Plant Propagation by Stem Cuttings: Instructions for the Home Gardener

Good luck.
~Angie

I've had my weeping yaupon holly (ilex vomitoria pendula - kinda has a disgusting ring to it!) for several years now, but I've never had berries. At Mich Gardens Saturday I noticed a giant one out in full sun covered with red berries. Just wondering if others of you get berries. Mine might not be mature enough or sun-drenched enough, but they said a species match is not needed for fertilization.

merry holidays! claire in sanford

AZ, any of the suggested berry producing plants are wonderful and easy to grow. I also have deciduous holly, which puts on bright red berries on its stark bare winter branches..also very seasonal and the birds love them.

Claire, species isn't so important with Yaupon hollies, but sex is! Hopefully, you have a female plant. Best time to purchase a holly is when it is either blooming or fruiting.

Wow, I think I've got me a boy vomitoria...figures! I may contact Fairview Gardens to find out if they even consider sex when selling these pricey ornamentals. You would think paying that much for a specimen planting, they would give you a female. (more bang for the buck, but, of course, that's in MY world, not the real world) Thanks rhizo, I guess I was assuming it was a female.

Leslie,

If this is a speckled shiny green (female)it would be an Acuba. I have a huge one on one side of the garage and it gets red berries. But only if there is a solid green (male) in the vicinity which is on the other side of the garage. I have lots and lots of starts from these if you would like some.

Cindy

OMG, my variegated acubas are guys too!

i have lady acubas, claire, if you need some :)

it sounds like we're mating bears.

a veritable horticultural dating service!

and, i agree, it's less than satisfactory that you were sold a male yaupon without comment from them, or proper labeling, at least.

i can't wait to hear from AZ on her mystery red-berried shrub!

I love the look of Yaupon Hollies with berries - the combination of the kinky stems in soft rich grey tones and the dark green small leaves and the bright red berries (never too many nor too few) - it just says Christmas.

Well, at the risk of sounding catty, is this a thread on the inadequacies of males?! Men sometimes disappoint me too!

I just get glimpses of the bushes as I whiz by on the road - but they are loaded with luscious berries. I ended up going to Michaels and getting fake wreath of them to tide me over, but I would love to collect some of the real thing for the yard. Cindy, and anyone else that would let me take cuttings to try, or has volunteers that they don't need, please send me an e-mail and I will show up with shovel in hand!

Thanks-

Leslie

AZ
do you know what they are yet? maybe google all the posted possibilities and see if you find it ... if it's nandina, i can help you out.
marsha

Right, AZ, not only do men lack red berries, they are a teenytiny minority at GW Carolina. Men are so.... I don't know, MALE! But our few males here are special, not garden variety. I know Basil is going to be dissing my radical feminism again. I should shut up b/c men are a valuable commodity here, simply b/c of their sex. (by the way ALL of this is tongue-in-cheek).

And Tjohn, you are so right about weeping yaupons. Even w/o the berries they are so graceful and easy to grow.

AZ, I love that amidst all the advanced horticultural talk that is way over my head sometimes, you came out with "what are those green bushes with red berries." You get the award for most down-to-earth poster.

Hi again!

I would like to try a variety of any kind of bushes, figure out the one(s) I like best, and go from there. So, if I bum any off of you, make sure I know what it is called! I have a wooded back yard and would love to see some green and red among all the leafless trees.

As far as the "down to earth" award goes, I accept it graciously, and put it right next to my "most willing to ask directions and still get lost" award, and my award for domestic dysfunction- thanks goes to my agent, the nomination committee, and all the little people.

Happy "Hollydays" all!

Leslie

Leslie, I have plenty of volunteers of native holly. Mine all grow in a tree-like form and are loaded with berries this year. They drop leaves in the spring that can be rather troublesome after spending all fall and winter raking oak and hickory leaves but they might be used nicely in the forefront of decidious woods where you would not have to worry about raking the nasty prickly leaves up. If you are interested I could pot some up for you and perhaps give them to you at the spring swap. Adele

I am here to proudly represent the "Y" chromosome.

Keep in mind that Nandina will some day soon be listed as Invasive (if it isn't already) and forbidden to be planted in the state. They are a problem in certain areas.

Also keep in mind that all hollies require pollinators so if you want berries you need a male somewhere nearby. And you want to be sure you buy a female for berries.

Personally I like native hollies, but way in the back of the yard. I like to walk around barefoot and those spiny leaves hurt. They also poke you when you're weeding or picking up branches and twigs.

The earlier comments reminded me of a confrontation I witnessed years ago where a man and woman were jokingly arguing about which sex was better/stronger/smarter... the final words came from the man and pretty much stopped everything. He said "yeah, well at least we're fertile til the day we die!"

And, john, for those of us who still think Darwin was on the right track, it's sure no mystery WHY that particular distinction between the sexes evolved.

That jokey tiff must have been a hoot to watch. "Jane, you ignorant slut!"

Well except of course, not ALL men are fertile until the day they die.

I have no Y chromosome, but I would like to place a vote in favor of the "other" sex - I like men, I'm definitley in favor of them, very partial to them, and I would be even if they were not necessary for propogation!

TJ
all i've read about nandina becoming invasive has referenced only florida. nc state's fact sheets have many varieties listed, with no notes about invasiveness here. and it seems the raulston arboretum has quite the collection. i'm wonderin' what you know that they don't know that i should know :)
marsha

I'm wondering if what you're seeing is Burford holly (Ilex cornuta "Burfordii").

This link shows a Burford holly in flower. Burford holly typically has a very heavy fruit set.

burford's are so huge they could certainly be seen while hurtling down the highway. i've got two straddling a corner of my house, loaded with berries. it's unfortunate that the berries last such a short time once cut for arrangements. cuttings of these guys rooted easily for me last summer.

marsha - there are people that get real excited when a popular plant shows any tendancies towards invasiveness. Many plants get listed without a lot of solid research behind the decision. There is an active campaign to remove all Nandinas and Butterfly Bushes from cultivation as well as a long list of other species. Don't know if it will ever happen, but I do know Nandina's are on the hit list.

Just for the record, I like men a whole lot too. But some men more than others, some women more than others. Can't get into stereotypes in humans like I can with plants (female hollies being BETTER). I also like humor.

My Royal Red butterfly bush has not reseeded at all.

I forgot to mention that I ventured out yesterday on perhaps the coldest day of the year so far and got a chance to really examine that weeping yaupon. Voila, there ARE scant berries. Do you suppose it's her young age or the fact that she's in very little sun that accounts for this lack of berries? Fairview Nurseries is thus exculpated.

Claire, I have a Shadow's Female upright yaupon that is fruiting for the first time this year. Not heavily. I planted it 2 years ago I think- maybe three. I didn't buy a male for cross pollination. Didn't know I needed one and figured even if I did there are tons of dwarfs planted as foundation shrubs in the neighborhood. Hasn't been a fast grower but the leaves stay a nice rich green year round and I look forward to it being a beautiful tree one day.

Hey Claire - maybe your yaupon needs a MAN!

Leslie - You are more than welcome to come take as many acuba cuttings as you want. If you get down under the plant there are small starts already rooted that you are welcome to also.

I have several varieties of huge hollies in my yard that are up for grabs if anyone wants to do the labor that it would take to dig them up. (Bring your swimmy suit and I'll let you soak in the hot tub to ease your sore muscles from your labor. LOL) They are going to be chainsaw pruned come spring if no one has come dug them up. There are also quite a lot of little starts from these hollies too. I do not particularly like hollies and want them gone.

I have to say that I am also quite partial to the Y chromozone gender. Not all of them are wonderful (I have known a butthole or two in my life) but when you get a wonderful one it is great. And yes, I can honestly say the same about the X 'zoned gender too.

We have some serious Y 'zoned sweethearts here I think. And I enjoy the variety they add to the forums.

Cindy

i have some red berries on a tree in my back yard and i don't know what they are! i look all over the net and all i found was pics but no names of it. you seem to know alot about pants so i thought i would ask you. they have green leafs on them and they are very shinny red they are small round berries they grow on a tree. maybe you can tell me what they are
thanks

hi i still have not found out what that tree is with the red berries on it. but if any on you know can you e-mail me even my e-mail is jim_dana_wyatt@hotmail.com

thanks