Berry-bearing trees and shrubs come into their own in autumn, creating colourful displays that last well into winter, which is why they have been chosen as the HTA Plant of the Moment for October.

From elderberries to rose hips, crab apples to firethorns, the addition of “berrying” plants adds a new dimension to any garden, with plants carrying fruits and berries through autumn and into winter. Berry-producing plants also provide home grown food for hungry birds and wildlife too, enhancing their appeal and value to the garden – all well worth pointing out in your POS material

Evergreen shrubs provide structure and form throughout the year, but many produce early displays of flowers followed by autumn berries. One of the best compact shrubs for borders or patio pots is a Skimmia (S.japonica subsp. Reevesiana, whose displays of bright red berries are second to none.

Viburnum davidii is a hardy shrub with distinctly veined evergreen foliage that produces the most unusual metallic-looking blue-black berries, quite a talking point on the planteria.

To create seasonal pots for autumn colour, offer Gaultheria mucronata with its brilliant berries in pink, red or pure white. Combined with pansies and violas, trailing ivy, heather, carex or skimmia, pre-planted pots will retain their sales potential over a long period.

Trained against walls and fences, firethorn is a valuable evergreen shrub. Its thorny stems make it a great choice for producing secure garden boundaries, Despite their spines, they provide valuable nesting sites for birds, flowers that attract bees, and red, orange or yellow berries to feed birds into winter.

TOP FOUR SHRUBS WITH COLOURFUL FRUITS AND BERRIES

• Firethorn – (Pyracantha varieties)
• Skimmia – Many female varieties produce wonderful displays of berries including Skimmia japonica subsp. reevesiana, Skimmia japonica ‘Nymans’ and ‘Obsession’. Male varieties are equally appealing with great flower displays, like ‘Magic Marlot’ and ‘Rubella’.
• Gaultheria Mucronata (Formerly called Pernettya)
• Cotoneaster – wide range of berrying shrubs including Cotoneaster horizontalis, Cotoneaster ‘Coral Beauty’, C. ‘Cornubia’, C. lacteus, and many others.

TIPS FOR CUSTOMERS

• Many shrubs can be given a permanent home in large patio pots. Plant pots using a free-draining loam-based compost.
• Always stand pots on feet during winter to prevent drainage holes getting blocked and pots filling-up with water.
• Small berry-bearing shrubs included in seasonal patio pot arrangements can be removed and planted out in the garden next spring.
• Some plants have both male and female varieties, so it might just be the female one you buy that’s carrying berries. Be prepared to offer advice, as buyers may need to grow male forms alongside the females to ensure their flowers get pollinated and develop berries.

PLANTING PARTNERS

Try and create varied  planteria displays including evergreen shrubs, ornamental grasses, architectural plants with strong shapes and forms, and those with great autumn foliage colours. Some to consider:

•  Beauty Berry (Callicarpa ‘Profusion’ and many others)
•  Carex ‘Evergold’
• Heathers (Including Calluna varieties)
• Holly (Ilex varieties)
• Pansies
• Roses with colourful hips, like Rosa rugosa, Rosa canina and Rosa ‘Geranium’
• Skimmia ‘Magic Marlot’
• Spindle (varieties of Euonymus like ‘Red Cascade’)
• Viola
• Viburnum including Viburnum davidii and varieties of Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus)

Pyracantha image - ©Adam Pasco Media