Berried Treasure

The berry thing.

1 CRABAPPLE ( Malus)

These small flowering trees are grown for their pretty pink, white or crimson spring blossoms, but many have the bonus of attractive autumn fruit. Resembling miniature apples (to which they’re closely related) and held in clusters like cherries, crabapples are best used for jams rather than eaten fresh. ‘John Downie’ is a variety with scarlet-blushed orange fruit, ‘Golden Hornet’ puts forth yellow-orange crabapples, ‘Tom Matthews’ bears dark-purple fruit and ‘Gorgeous’ has crimson crabapples. These are deciduous trees that suit mild to cool climates and sunny positions.

2 BEAUTYBERRY ( Callicarpa)

Glittering like jewels, the unusual bead-like purple-pink fruits of beautyberry will have everyone asking what it is. This deciduous shrub reaches 1-3m in height, with a rather informal shape that means it’s best used in a mixed planting, where it can take its turn to star. It bears clusters of small lilac flowers in late spring. The groups of berries that follow last well in a vase and look wonderful in mixed floral displays. There are several species, all with metallic purple berries, including native Callicarpa pedunculata or velvet leaf.

3 ROSE HIPS

Roses flower beautifully in autumn, and some prolong their display with rose hips, which are actually the fruits of the rose. Rose hips ripen to vibrant orange and red tones. They can be used to make delicious jam and, of course, rose hip syrup, which is rich in vitamin C. The fruit will be sweetest when touched by the first frost. Not all roses form decorative hips but most rugosa roses do, as well as some of the species roses such as Rosa canina and Rosa moyesii.

If you want to let the hips develop, you’ll need to stop picking or deadheading your roses.

4 DIAMOND-LEAF PITTOSPORUM ( Auranticarpa rhombifolia)

This rainforest tree, native to northern NSW and southern Queensland, is suited to frost-free climates. Popular as a street or specimen planting, it can grow to a height of 8-10m in urban areas, with a rounded crown of diamond-shaped leaves. In late spring the foliage is covered in clusters of creamy star-shaped flowers that are lightly fragrant, but it’s the prominent bunches of vibrant orange berries that draw attention. The display runs for months, from late summer/autumn to winter, and is best when trees are planted in full sun.

5 CORAL BERRY ( Ardisia crenata)

Coral berry is an undemanding yet highly attractive small plant that thrives in the shade and bears blood-red berries in whorled layers from autumn through to spring. It also has many upright stems that reach 90cm in height, a crown of shiny, leathery leaves and pretty white flowers from late spring. Use coral berry as an indoor plant in a brightly lit spot, as a patio plant or in a sheltered position in the garden. Originally from south-east Asia, it has naturalised in NSW and Queensland, so avoid growing it if you live near bushland.