In flagrante fructifero...

Ahh...winter and snow. That Cotoneaster sure must be frigidus, Resin...and your fruiting frenzy looks more of a Crataegus, Mr_Canthus.

'Round here, the winterberries are doing their best to show their stuff. Here are a series of images of Ilex verticillata clones at the Valley, from earlier this afternoon.

Polly Hill's fine selection - 'Tiasquam'...

And another of 'Tiasquam' all in a row...

Here's a row of 'Shortcake', lightened by the shrill winter cold...

And a closer view of 'Shortcake' and its more golden-orange hues...

Sin of omission: 'Shortcake' is also a Polly Hill selection.

Now, how about an Ohio River valley product? The late Bob Simpson introduced this fine fellow to commerce.

'Stoplight'...

'Stoplight' has really fat fruit. Here is one individual plant...

And sans fruit...here's what 'Stoplight' looks like after your less-than-friendly neighborhood rabbits have visited to sharpen their teeth.

One American Holly (Ilex opaca) still persistently showy - 'Judy Evans' is my star.

I think she has an affinity, like she's reaching out, for the distant barn...

Finally, I couldn't resist throwing this one in.

Here's what you can whip up when you have a handful of winning sprigs from a Holly Society contest:

And Fieldfares too (and the snow disappearing!)

Resin

VibValley, Thanks for the posting. I never told you that we had quite a few berries on many of my new Vibs. that I planted in Nantucket this spring. I am sure I will have a bigger show next winter.

I can also say that I did end up gathering up all those Vib.Berry Branchs that you just posted a picture of on the Vt porch and I put them in a big bronze planter on the table on that porch just before T-day and they still look great. I did clean up the ones that had the leaves browning on them, but I am amazed how well they have lasted. Patti

What a wonderful thread! I can add callicarpa 'Leucocarpa' taken at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in late November...

and berries...

My hollies are mostly stripped clean of berries already. The last to go is Winter Gold. I tried to get a good shot of it today but I find it hard to photograph. There was actually a robin sitting on it and eating the berries. It use to be that nothing ate these berries, now I don't even get through January.

Hi Loretta; welcome to the Fruit Loops!

One could also consider that you are enticing birds to come eat those fruit, where they didn't used to hang out before...

For a longer fruit display for you, you might have to provide more opportunities for them (in your garden or elsewhere). Great pics, by the way. Your 'Winter Gold' looks much cleaner than mine this year - I've got all sorts of spots on the fruit. Those white Callicarpa make a fine show, too - though an evergreen surround might highlight them even more.

Hi Patti! Glad you are hanging in there, and that the hollies are still providing a show, too. I'd expect the ones with foliage to have browned up, but the deciduous ones (winterberries) should last you all winter and next summer, too.

The Fruit Loops? Ah, I guess I will have to click around to get that one? Thank you for the nice welcome. I actually recognize a few names here back from when I use to post on GW. As far as more opportunities, I have Red Sprite, Winter Red, Oosterwijk, and one of the serratas too. Also three female Longstalks. And OK I lied, Blue Princess is the last holly to get eaten but even that will get some takers. They just developed a taste for holly berries over the years.

The whole reason for berries is to attract birds, that's what they're for!

Resin

Resin- That bird looks like he’s daring anyone to take any of his berries.

Great photo.

Yes that is a great photo.
I want to learn about birds. What kind is that?

Winter King hawthorn from about five years ago.

Thanks for the bird info Resin.
And all these berry pictures are great. What does il flagrante fructifero mean?

Resin, you are absolutely right about the berries being for the birds and what a great bird shot! I am just a little greedy. I was hoping to enjoy the winter show of berries and chose a lot of shrubs that are suppose to be persistent. But that is OK.
Victorgardener, that is a beautiful Hawthorn. I wish I had room for one of those.

Mr_Canthus:

You are asking too many tough questions.

If you were to refer back to the beginning of this thread in January 2008, you'll read how I was bereft of winter fruit display because of the dreadful Easter freeze of spring 2007. The plants at the Valley normally flagrantly flaunting their fruit (Viburnum, Malus, Aronia, etc.) only had bare branches to share.

Thus, I requested others share their bounty - and made up the phrase titling the initial post. No more, no less.

VV-Which berry bearing bush or tree is most popular amongst the birds over there in Scott County? And, do you have a favorite Viburnum?

Resin-

I hadn’t thought of it that way. As winter progresses, popularity depends on what is still available. So popularity is fickle in the world of berries as well ours. Ha!

My wife always leaves the nicest thing on her plate until last ( despite having to guard it from me) . May be thats what birds do.ie leave the nicest berries to the end of the winter so as to fully extend the anticipation of pleasure.

Probably not but you never know!
I think the yellow berries are the ones that seem to get left to the end and come to think of it, they aren't normally of the straight species but yellow berried cultivars of otherwise red species

Having been raised in a family of ten (9 boys, 1 girl - with 5 younger brothers all bigger and taller than me), there is no trust or honor at all amongst humans either.

Spouses are not exempted. In my Dad's best dinner table voice...

"...just a taste..."

I watched a man with birds of prey and a big leather glove last summer. He had an eagle owl that snuggled up against him like a big puppy dog. However he showed afterwards indisputably that it actually had no loyalty to him at all, and was driven solely by its basic animalistic instinct for survival.... so I know what you mean, but it was a beautiful animal.

Callicarpa alba.

Rhodotypos scandens

Pistacia chinensis

I'm overwhelmed by the number of viburnum choices. If you had to pick a favorite, which would it be? (Ideally, pick one that grows in zone 5a....)

gg:

As you've stated, there are many viburnums to be grown, and almost all of them have multiple high quality reasons for their use. One cannot simply say, "I like this one" without corraling a few more values that are being pursued.

**Are indigenous species a factor in selection

**Is time of year for bloom a factor

**Is time of year for fruit a factor

**Is fall color important

**Is shape, form, or size a factor

**What site conditions must the plant endure (light intensity, moisture regime, soils, aspect, etc.)

With more of this information, one could narrow the wide field from which one could select for Maine. Imagine the choices that remain for more benign climates!

Indigenous species are not a requirement.
Time of year for bloom or fruit are not important.
Fall color is important.

Shape, form and size are not a factor if I place it on the east edge of the woods, where it would get morning sun but have rather poor drainage.

Or, if I pulled out a lilac that I"m not at all fond of, I could place it near the sunroom, where the birds perch waiting for their chance at the feeder. In that location, ultimate size not to exceed 15 ft high, and sunlight from about 11 a.m. until 4pm, with excellent drainage.

Does that narrow the list any?

For all your circumstances, you would have excellent success with Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) and American Cranberrybush Viburnum (Viburnum trilobum). Both of these species are native into the northeastern US, and can handle zone 5a conditions there with aplomb (not a Prunus).

If you were to use both these species, you would have a longer season of bloom; summer deep blue fruit on the Arrowwood; winter shiny red fruit on the Cranberrybush; fall color on both; and some real happy birds.

If you plant more than one of each species (not identical clones), then you should have plenty of cross-pollination opportunities and heavy fruiting annually. You can look up these viburnums in PlantFiles to read more about them. Planting a viburnum singularly takes the chance that you will have little to no fruit display.

For Viburnum dentatum: Indian Summer™, Chicago Lustre®, Red Feather™ are good choices

For Viburnum trilobum: 'Alfredo', 'Hahs', 'Wentworth', and Red Wing™ are good plants.

There certainly are many more to choose from.