As the winter progresses it gets harder to find color. However the winter berries are a bright spot in the color scheme of the browns of winter.
The Greenbriar (Smilax bon-nox) berries are not very bright, but provide a nice meal for the birds! The berries are not edible for humans.
Up close one can appreciate the beautiful black berries!
Some Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) seemed to hang on until spring. They must not be as tasty and have a different strategy for propagation. Indeed, the Snowberry Clearwing moth caterpillar uses the plant as a host plant.
Western Horse Nettle’s (Solanum dimidiatum) yellow fruit is not for human consumption. Various animals eat the fruit in the Solanum genus which includes dove, Bobwhite, Meadowlarks, Mockingbirds, sparrows, raccoons, skunks, pocket gophers to mention a few. Source: Solanum dimidiatum
The bright red Snailseed (Cocculus carolinus)usually doesn’t last long in the winter. Its attachment reminds me of a glass Christmas ornament. And don’t eat them! So this berry is strictly for the birds.
Hackberries! I looked at Foraging Texas by Knight and Coplin. And they do mention that this berry is edible. The Forager|Chef has a lot interesting facts about them too. Perhaps I will gather some and try a glass of hackberry milk if I can find any left after the birds had theirs. 🙂
These magenta American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) berries were getting pretty wrinkled and dried. Fresh the berries can be prepared for use by humans. Additionally it is a favorite of our bird friends. Somehow the birds had missed these. However a Common Green Stink Bug (Chinavia hilaris) may have thought there was enough nutrients left.
And the last berry of the day, a blue berry of the Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)! While I was examining it I watched the tiniest of white insects crawling around on them. They were even too tiny to get a lousy photo. 🙂
So the berries of winter are a delightful splash of color. Some are only for the wildlife. And some have been used and consumed by people for eons. But be very cautious on foraging the berries! A nice book you may want to consider, Foraging Texas, Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Foods in Texas by Stacy M. Coplin and Eric M. Knight.
Interesting to point out how the berries are attached differently – had not really paid any attention to that detail before.
The coralberry here that is in full sun is loaded with berries this year.
Snailseed is so flashy but the others are pretty too.
Interesting to point out how the berries are attached differently – had not really paid any attention to that detail before.
The coralberry here that is in full sun is loaded with berries this year.
I always love your closeups! I wish my beautyberries stayed purple longer. Birds only seem to eat them at my house when they are plump and colorful.