Berry-Producing Shrubs

Cool bogs and wet meadows are home to Small Cranberry, a dainty, creeping evergreen native. Vaccinium oxycoccos forms a low mat of tiny, glossy leaves on thread-like stems, with nodding pink flowers in early summer that resemble miniature shooting stars. These are followed by tart red berries that are edible and great for sauces. It is a charming choice for bog gardens, rain gardens and containers of acidic soil.

After the leaves drop, the stems glow with masses of bright red berries well into winter on this native deciduous holly. Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) saves its best show for that season, and it is right at home in wet or soggy spots, making it a standout for rain gardens, pond edges and low areas. Birds feast on the fruit through the cold months, and cut branches are a favorite for holiday decorating.

Homemade syrups, jams, pies and wines all start with the dark purple berries of this fast-growing native shrub. American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is crowned in early summer with broad, flat clusters of creamy white flowers, which are used for cordials and teas, before heavy clusters of berries follow. It thrives in moist soil, spreads into an attractive thicket, and is a magnet for pollinators and songbirds. This northern collection is especially cold hardy.

Citrusy, tingling peppercorns and fragrant young leaves make Japanese Pepper, known as sansho, a prized aromatic shrub in Japanese cooking. Zanthoxylum piperitum has glossy, finely divided foliage that turns bright yellow in fall and small reddish fruits that split to reveal shiny black seeds. Its compact, spiny branches make it a fun edible ornamental for containers, bonsai and protective hedges.

Every season brings something new from Black Chokeberry, a hardworking native shrub. Aronia melanocarpa opens clusters of white spring flowers, then sets glossy black berries packed with antioxidants that are great in juice, jams and baking. In fall, the leaves turn brilliant shades of red and orange. This multi-stemmed shrub adapts to both wet and sandy soils, making it ideal for rain gardens, hedges and naturalized plantings.

Salty seaside sites and sandy, nutrient-poor soils are no problem for this rugged native shrub, thanks in part to its ability to fix nitrogen. Northern Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) is prized for its aromatic, glossy leaves and clusters of waxy, gray-white berries that persist into winter. It forms dense, rounded thickets that work well as hedges, screens and erosion control, and the fragrant berry wax is the traditional source of bayberry candles.

Cold, windy regions call for a tough, bushy shrub like this one, a handy choice for informal hedges and shelterbelts. Nanking Cherry (Prunus tomentosa) covers itself in pale pink blossoms in early spring, often before the leaves appear, then follows up with small, bright red cherries in early summer that are sweet-tart and great for fresh eating, jams and juice. Its soft, fuzzy leaves and dense, spreading habit round out its appeal.

Translucent scarlet berries that look like cranberries follow the late spring lacecap clusters of white flowers on this hardy native viburnum. American Cranberrybush (Viburnum trilobum) has maple-like, three-lobed leaves that turn red to purple in fall, and its fruit hangs on into winter for birds. Tough, cold hardy and adaptable to moist soils, it makes an outstanding hedge, screen or wildlife shrub for northern gardens.

Velvety, antler-like branches give this bold native shrub or small tree its name. Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) carries long, tropical-looking compound leaves that blaze scarlet, orange and gold in fall, and upright cones of fuzzy crimson fruit that persist through winter. It thrives in dry, poor soils where little else grows, making it excellent for slopes, roadsides and naturalized areas. The fruit is also used to make a tangy, lemonade-like drink.

Cordials, teas, syrups, jams and wines all start with European Elderberry, a vigorous, multi-stemmed shrub prized for both its flowers and fruit. Sambucus nigra bears broad, flat clusters of creamy white, fragrant blossoms in early summer, followed by heavy bunches of glossy purple-black berries. The flowers go into cordials and teas, and the berries, once cooked, become excellent syrups, jams and wines. Fast growing and adaptable, it fits hedgerows, edible landscapes and wildlife gardens alike.