As a landscape architect, a creative way that I have looked at designing color into the winter landscape is through the use of trees and shrubs with colorful berries that persist through the winter.
With the coming of spring also comes the return of many birds back to the gardens of Canada and the northern United States.
Though some stay with us during the winter months, the new arrivals are always looking for food to ensure that they are able to survive the late winter blasts, which are so common.
Many of the trees and shrubs that are easily grown in northern gardens and bear fruit persistently through the winter can help to provide them some nourishment, as well as offer us, humans, the enjoyment of watching the birds and welcoming a bit of color into the traditional bleak landscape.
For the most part, because of their size, fruit-bearing trees are the most apparent to us, occupying our scope of vision more readily.
It is quite common to see a group of cedar waxwings in a flowering crab (Malus spp.) in the earliest stages and latter parts of winter, as these birds migrate and search for food along their routes.
Some varieties of ornamental or flowering crabs with persistent fruit to consider are:
- Burgundy (M. ‘Burgundy’), edible purple fruit persistent through March
- Centurion (M. ‘Centurion’), fluorescent-red fruit persistent until March
- Donald Wyman (M. ‘Donald Wyman’), ornamental and edible red fruit to March
- Indian Summer (M. ‘Indian Summer’), edible red fruit for a long period from September through to March
- Ormiston Roy (M. ‘OrmistonRoy’), ornamental and edible orange fruit
- Pink Spire (M. ‘Pink Spires’), with small purplish red fruit
- Red Splendor (M. ‘Red Splendor’), clusters of long-lasting red fruit
- Rudolph (M. ‘Rudolph’), gets its name from bright red fruit that persists through to January
- Selkirk (M. ‘Selkirk’), fireblight resistant with bright red fruit
- Sugar Tyme (M. ‘Sugar Tyme’) ornamental edible red fruit until March
Other valuable ornamental trees which hold their fruit through to the spring are the hawthorns (Crataegus spp.) Hawthorns are not as commonly used in the landscape due to the dagger-like thorns found on the species and most cultivars, and yet they offer a wide variety of colors to the winter palette.
Some species, like the Cockspur hawthorn (C. crusgalli), have showy red fruit which persists well into February.
Winter color through berries is epitomized by the mountain ash (Sorbus spp.), or Rowan as commonly referred to by the Europeans.
Their clusters of brilliant orange to red fruit really brighten the landscape in the northern garden.
Of note is Cardinal Royal mountain ash (S. aucuparia ‘Cardinal Royal’). This cultivar has bright red berries persisting well into winter, yet unlike other mountain ash varieties has bark that is gray in color rather than copper or olive green; thus making the berries more the feature.
Since many northern gardeners experience a great depth of snow, it is extremely important to take into account taller varieties of shrubs with persistent fruit.
This ultimately leads the gardener to such genera as sumacs, viburnums, roses, and vines such as firethorn.
Many viburnums, especially the High Bush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum of North American origin and V. opulus of European origin) have some of the showiest colors.
Though the fruit, once they ripen, can persist well into the winter months, they are generally devoured by passing birds and other wildlife in no time.
Rose hips have long been revered for their tea-making properties, but they also offer a great deal of color to the winter landscape.
When left on the plant through winter, they create a display of wonder with a soft snowfall or even a sprinkling of morning hoarfrost.
As many northern gardeners occasionally experience freezing rain, the ice which coats the rose hips reflects the sun like a mirror.
Should the sun fail to show itself early, the ice encapsulating the hip resembles a miniature candied apple! Now there’s a bit of nostalgia – when was the last time you had a candied apple? Rugosa roses (Rosa rugosa) are probably the best for this purpose, although there is some merit to using the red-leafed rose (R. rubrifolia) for this purpose as well.
When using Sumac (Rhus spp.), take note that unless controlled this family of plants can get out of hand due to their vigorous suckering habit.
However, the grand spectacle of the pillars of modified flower-fruit, which grow as if they are emulating burgundy to red candlelights on the top branches of the plant, is worth the pruning effort to contain its wandering habit.
The best example is demonstrated by the Staghorn sumac (R. typhina).
The only vine that offers any potential for winter color through winter berries is the very showy firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea), named for its blazing orange to red clusters of berries that coat the plant in fall.
However, it is not reliably hardy and is primarily restricted to use in Zone 5 for northern gardeners.
In addition, the color only seems to last into December when the colder months cause the berries to collapse and fall from the plant.
There are many different and new varieties of plants being developed by growers every day.
The selection of plants listed above is intended for the novice northern gardener and should be considered when planning a landscape.
Adding color through fruit-bearing plants for an added winter effect or to entertain birds and other wildlife will heighten the pleasure of any garden.
