This years growing season will draw to a close sooner than most of us would like. As the Autumn progresses, and most flowers fade away, we will rely more heavily on textures, fall colors in foliage, and ornamental fruit for garden interest.

I thought it would be fun to start a thread about decorative fruit/berries in the garden.

I know I will likely be thought idiotic for saying this, but there is something so delightful to me in a branch laden with fruit, edible or not. It brings to my mind a provincial picture of harvest, or a woodland where creatures and wildlife can come to feast on fruit. Fruiting plants are one of those naturalistic curiosities that I secretly adore, along with such things like moss, lichens, mushrooms, and cones (like conifers).

I think every garden needs to have at least one fruiting plant. They add so much interest in fall, and even winter. I didn't know I had so many until I looked in my garden for them.

Here are some of the plants (perennials, shrubs, vines, trees, etc.) with fruits:

Mountain Ash tree. Has clusters of garishly bright orange fruit. Starlings are partial to them. For many years I never even looked twice at the berries, but now I am always on the lookout for first orange blush. The color does compliment the late-summer colors.

Symphoricarpos doorenbosii 'Amethyst' (aka 'Kordes') is known as Coral Berry shrub. This cultivar has bubble-gum pink oval berries. I am so in love with this shrub. So unusual. The common species, known as Snowberry, has white fruit. Dainty foliage and flowers.

Chaenomeles. Quince shrub. Has edible fruit that turn a yellow color when ready to use. I made a spoonful of jam last year and it was wonderful. Beautiful flowers in early spring.

Lonicera (Honeysuckle) have berries. I have a few Honeysuckle shrubs that produce bright red berries that the birds like. My honeysuckle vines also have berries, which I didn't know until last year.

Virgina Creeper has beautiful powdery blue clusters and red foliage in fall.

Rose hips are interesting. Some of the species have oblong hips I think.

St. John's Wort. Bought my 'Albury Purple' last year. It is just starting to put on little fruit. So cute!

Gaultheria procumbens- Wintergreen. Has sweet bell flowers in spring and red fruit later in the year. I bought mine last year with fruit on it. I ate one and it tasted minty. Bad texture though, so I let the birds have them. ;-)

I also have a patch of raspberries that I find very attractive in fruit.

Red Twig Dogwood, Barberry, and Yew have a few berries as well, though not in great abundance.

So, what decorative fruit/berries do you have in your garden?

CMK