Home & People Berries for a bright autumn display

Press, 20 April 1979, Page 11

Home & People Berries for a bright autumn display

Autumn is berry-bear-ing time; trees and shrubs carrying variously shaped and coloured fruit can thus provide a bright display of sometimes prolonged attraction in many places. Some of the more common ones which may be seen are mentioned below. Euonymus europaeus is well known as Spindleberry. This is a deciduous shrub which can grow quite large — more than four metres high. The flowers are relatively " inconspicuous but its red berries, which are produced in great profusion, are its main claim to beauty. Later, as “’these berries ripen, they split open to reveal orange coloured seeds. The leaves turn red before they fall. Seedlings are not hard to find close to where one of these shrubs growns. This is a plant which is indifferent both to position and soil. Billardiera longiflora is an Australian native, a climbing evergreen com- . monly called Australian Blueberry in acknowledgement of its small but conspicuous, sausage-shaped, metallic, purple-blue coloured fruits. It has creamy-yellow pendent flowers in the spring and , prefers a cool moist root run. Stranvesia davidiana is a compact large evergreen shrub or small tree. It has white hawthorn-like flowers which in turn are followed by clusters of bright red berries which persist on the branches throughout the winter, untouched by birds. Older leaves tend to turn bright red in autumn to provide an effective contrast with the green ones. There is a yellow berried form “Fructuluteo.”

Symphoricarpus albus (Snow berry) forms a hardy almost clump-like bush to 2m in height. Following on from pinkishwhite flowers, the globose or ovoid pure white berries are most prominent. This deciduous shrub will just about grow anywhere and is tolerant of hard 'pruning. J Pyracantha angustifolia is an organge-yellow fruited firethorn. It ■flowers profusely in the springtime and the exceedingly prominent berries are left untouched by birds for a few weeks before they suddenly “discover” them. P. coccinea • has very bright and shiny scarlet fruit. Viburnum opulus is variously referred to as Guelder Rose and Water Elder. It is of deciduous habit with maple-like

leaves which take on beautiful coloured tints before they fall. The socalled flowers are in reality florets and these surround the less conspicuous fertile blooms. The fruit are glistening

red and translucent, somewhat reminiscent of red currents but of a very much larger size. There is a very much less common form called Compactum, which only grows about half the size, of the species.

SORBUS AUCUPARIA Sorbus aucuparia is a familiar small tree in some areas of Christchurch but not in others. Its large clusters of organge-red berries are popular with many birds and what they do not eat soon fall to the ground. The Rowan or Mountain Ash does best in colder areas but does not do well in exposed, very dry or poorly drained positions. Cornus capitata has very flat sulphur yellow bracts which surround the less conspicuous flower heads. A mature specimen of this tree in full bloom is an impressive sight; similarly, the large pink strawberry-like fruit, which are edible and tasty, give it prominence. This evergreen tree is

relatively easy to grow, free of most problems and is alternatively known as Himalayan Strawberry tree. Decaisnea fargesii is probably the least common of all the trees and shrubs mentioned so far. It is a medium to large growing shrub, of deciduous habit. Its upright stems carry very large compound leaves, as much as one metre in length. The curious yellowishgreen flowers are produced in pendant clusters. The fruits, as unusual as the flowers, are dull grey-ish-purple and tubular, about 15cm long. It is deserving of greater popularity but seems to be almost as unavailable from nuseries as it is uncommon in the garden.