In November, there are still many fruits about if you just look carefully. Five of my favorites are within feet of each other in my back yard. My most favorite is the beautyberry of which I have the Japanese variety. (I tried to grow the American species (Callicarpa americana) but my yard is just a tad too cold for it to survive the winters.) Its clusters of bright purple drupes stand out amidst an otherwise dull background. These fruits are not too long-lived as the birds clear them out typically before Christmas. And for the adventurous, they can be made into a delicious jam.
The next on my list are hollies with their bright red berries sitting against vibrant green leaves. (If you can get an American holly (Ilex opaca) so much the better as it is deer-proof unlike its Asian cousins.) But unlike beautyberries, its fruit is toxic to people but not to birds.
Much duller in color are the northern bayberries, which are popular for use in scented candles during the Christmas holiday season. They are perhaps the least favorite berries of birds as their numbers do not change much from fall to spring.
Bright red winterberries are much more distinctive than those of holly as they stand out in large clumps after the leaves have dropped to the ground. But they are a favorite of birds so they are short-lived in my gardens.
Crabapple pomes are typically the food of last resort for squirrels and birds in late winter when all other nourishment sources have been extinguished. This year, however, a strong fruiting has been thwarted by our drought. There are only a few fruits left on the tree and the slightest touch liberates them from their branch.
