Because we know, do we ever know, that a squirrel or a freeze or a lightening strike can take it away in a blink of the eye. For instance, on true wintery days like today we are very appreciative of plants with colorful twigs and berries.

Deciduous hollies are probably my first pick for a good berry show. This group of plants consists of mostly Ilex verticillata (winterberry) cultivars and hybrids and Ilex decidua (possumhaw – you gotta love that name) cultivars and hybrids. The fruit is usually red but cultivars are available with gold and orange as well. While these will tolerate a little shade the more sun they get the better they fruit. They will also tolerate wetter than average soils and are not as sensitive as evergreen hollies to our sometimes bitter winters. As with other hollies you need both male and female plants (Prop 8 would pass very easily in Hollyfornia) but you can have several females for one male (every male holly’s fantasy no doubt – what happens in Holly Vegas stays …) or you can just rely on a male from somebody else nearby (like in Desperate Hollywives).

Most of these plants get quite large, 6+ tall and wide in less than 10 years, with some eventually getting well over 10 feet tall and wide. But some dwarf forms are available, including the very beautiful ‘Red Sprite’ planted in Nonie’s Garden and on the tunnel as you approach our main entrance. There is another group of these near the parking garage. The taller ones in Nonie’s Garden are ‘Cacapon’.

Nonie's Garden

As you leave the property at 40th street look to the south between the 2 signs and there is another group of deciduous hollies. The pale orange ones are ‘Wintergold’ and the reds are ‘Afterglow’.

Wintergold

The ones without fruit are the male, ‘Jim Dandy’. Two other male cultivars are named ‘Southern Gentleman’ and ‘Red Escort’. Can you believe those names? Sounds like a male stripper’s convention.

When I said the hollies were my first pick I had forgotten the Viburnums. I’ll give you some names. Sorry, there’s a limit to what I can do here so be good and do your own research. For great fruit in viburnums I like V. dilitatum (‘Asian Beauty’ ‘Michael Dodge’, ‘Cardinal Candy’), V. setigerum, V. sieboldii. Other fruiting shrubs of interest include the native Symphorocarpos (coralberry) and the not native Callicarpa (beautyberry).
I’m out of time and space to cover the colored twigs! I will try to do something on them at a later date. Before I forget, I saw a red fox in the gardens today. How great is that. I hope it sticks around and eats lots of voles. Of course, the fox is just pretty to look at regardless. Just like a well placed deciduous holly outside your biggest window. Gotta go folks. Is that hot chocolate ready yet?