Red Fruit

The dainty white flowers of spring are soon followed by bumpy green fruits that mature to pink and then nearly to red. Once fully mature the pods split open to display the bright orange seeds inside giving it the name of Hearts-A-Burstin'. The American Strawberry bush is typically a deciduous to tardily deciduous large shrub (this selection seems to be more consistently evergreen) with green stems and dark to medium green, somewhat glossy foliage that is native to much of the eastern and central US. Excellent fall color in oranges, reds, and yellows. Images of fruit courtesy of Susan Thomas Spell. Item# 10218.

Clusters of 2" long, orange-red, tubular, trumpet-shaped flowers with an orange throats are produced beginning in early spring with and just before the arrival of the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds and may continue sporadically until fall on mature plantings. Blanche Sandman Coral Honeysuckle, a disease resistant and free-flowering selection of the southeastern native Lonicera sempervirens, is an easy, undemanding, non-invasive, semi-evergreen to deciduous twining vine that works well on fences, trellises, and arbors. Clusters of bright clear red, 1/4" diameter, songbird friendly berries are produced after flowering and can be removed to promote new growth and additional flowering. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, well-drained, average moist soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Coral Honeysuckle is one of our top recommended vines for attracting hummingbirds who greedily guard the plants from interlopers. Caterpillar host: Chalcedon Checkerspot. Item# 12662

Beautiful deep red to coral, yellow throated tubular blooms are born from spring to fall. Attracts hummingbirds and occasional butterflies. Its tame habit and long blooming season make this manageable Honeysuckle an choice for covering a fence, arbor or trellis. Caterpillar host: Chalcedon Checkerspot. Item# 1171.

Crushed Coral Mamou Bean produces tall spikes of dark coral pink, 2-3" tubular flowers in late spring and early summer atop sturdy stems that are held well above the foliage of this tough native perennial. The Mamou Bean is a drought tolerant and hardy shrublet that freezes back to the ground to return in spring. The flowers are followed by dark colored bean pods that split open to display their brilliant red-orange beans that can remain on the plant all winter. Excellent for Hummingbirds. Crushed Coral Mamou Bean is an Almost Eden exclusive introduction. Caterpillar host: Holly Blue. Item# 10751

The deep green 4-angled succulent stems are tipped with deep green fuzzy palmate grape or cucumber-like foliage that soon becomes deciduous. The Cucumber Cactus, Cissus quadrangularis, is an easy to succulent herbaceous vining to trailing plant whose stems can potentially grow to 5-15' long if a support is provided but is easily kept as a smaller hanging basket or container plant. In spring it may produce clusters of small green to yellowish flowers that may be followed by grape-like clusters of red to black berries. This unusual succulent is drought resistant and is quite adaptable to growing conditions from full sun to light shade as well as very acidic to very alkaline soils, although, it does require good to excellent drainage and should never be soggy wet. The Cucumber Cactus has been used medicinally,as food, and as fiber in its native tropical Asia and Africa. If stems happen to break off they will readily root. Item# 12438

An exceptionally free flowering form of our native Coral Honeysuckle producing a nearly continuous display of red tubular blooms with a yellow throat. Dan's Everblooming Coral Honeysuckle begins flowering in late winter and early spring and lasts through fall on established plants. This variety may produce a few flowers throughout winter even in zone 8B. Caterpillar host: Chalcedon Checkerspot. Item# 9729.

An RHS Award of Garden Merit selection. Grown mainly as a tough and disease resistant evergreen hedge adorned with a cloak of deep bluish-green to gray-green foliage with a contrasting silvery reverse but this is also an excellent shrub for fruit production for home use or leave it for the songbirds. Ebbinge's Silverberry is a hybrid Elaeagnus that is prized for its toughness and fast rate of growth as a hedge or screen. It can be maintained as small as 3'H x 3'W but is more commonly maintained at 5-6'H x 5-6'W or allow it to grow to its 10-15'H x 10-15'W naturally rounded mature size. In fall it produces fragrant but not very showy greenish to cream colored, 1" long tubular flowers that ripen in spring into 1" long cylindrical red fruit flecked with silver and with a large seed that is also edible excluding its woody exterior. The fruit is astringent and tart if eaten before being fully soft, deep red, and ripe at which point it makes a wonderful jelly similar to mayhaw or crabapple. Songbirds and small mammals are happy to assist with collection of the ripe fruit. Deer, salt, and drought resistant once well-established requiring mainly good drainage in a full sun to partially shade site for optimum vigor and growth. Considered to be nitrogen fixing. Item# 10695

A more consistently evergreen selection of this easy medium sized shrub. The dense neat mound of deep green glossy foliage and red tinged stems is topped by clusters of white flowers in spring which make way to red berries ripening through purple and finally black. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators and the fruit attract songbirds and smaller fructivores. Everleaf Walter's Viburnum is a selection of the southeastern native Viburnum obovatum and its dense mounding habit lends it to use anywhere a medium-sized shrub is desired in the landscape. It is generally evergreen into zone 8A and tends to be deciduous to semi-evergreen in zones 6 and 7. Use this tough and easy native shrub in place of Dwarf Yaupon, Indian Hawthorne, or anywhere a  disease resistant, low maintenance shrub is desired. Provide a full sun to part shade site in an average to well-drained soil for optimum vigor. Image courtesy of AgriStarts, all rights reserved. Item# 13395

In early spring, rich pink cherry blossoms cover the bare stems attracting an array of pollinators with pollinated flowers producing 3/8-1/2" diameter, tart fruit that ripen to a deep purplish red in mid to late spring to early summer. The Hiromi Dwarf Afghan Cherry, a selection of Prunus jacquemontii, is a small deciduous shrub growing to about 3-5'H and 4-5'W with an upright to spreading, bushy habit. The plants are self-fertile and have proven to fruit reliably even in the Deep South with minimal chill hours. The weight of ripening fruit can give the plants a semi-weeping habit. The small cherries are semi-sweet and tart when fully ripe and have a fairly large pit. The fruit, which doesn't all ripen at once, can be eaten fresh or made into preserves or jelly, if you have several plants, or left for the songbirds to enjoy. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in well-drained, fertile soils for optimum vigor and growth. The Hiromi Cherry has moderate drought resistance once fully established in the garden or landscape. It is reported to be a butterfly host plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Item# 10641

Clusters of deep orange 2" tubular flowers with yellow throats are held above the rich blue-green foliage of this selection of the tame native Coral Honeysuckle. This easily grown evergreen vine is an excellent choice for hummingbirds and butterflies that may produce flowers basically year round with peak flowering in early to mid spring as the Humminbirds arrive. Caterpillar host: Chalcedon Checkerspot. Item# 9573.

Considered by many to be the best of the red flowered Coral Honeysuckles. Major Wheeler produces loads of large clusters of deep red 2" tubular flowers with yellow throats are held above the rich blue-green disease resistant foliage of this selection of the tame native Coral Honeysuckle. Caterpillar host: Chalcedon Checkerspot. Image courtesy of North Creek Nurseries. Item# 9719.

.

Tall spikes of glowing red to purplish-red, 2-3" tubular blooms are born in summer above the foliage of this tough native perennial. A drought tolerant and hardy shrublet that freezes back to the ground to return in spring. The flowers are followed by dark colored bean pods that split open to display their brilliant red-orange beans that can remain on the plant all winter. Excellent for Hummingbirds. Caterpillar host: Holly Blue. Item# 9408.

Talk about a tongue twister, these 1/2" long, ovoid, bright red berries will make anything sour taste exceptionally sweet! Lemons, limes, and a multitude of other sour and hot foods will taste like candy for 30-60 minutes or more after eating just one of the berries. The Miracle Fruit, Synsepalum dulcificum, is a densely branching, naturally evergreen, tropical shrub that normally grows to 3-5' high and 2-3' feet wide as a container plant but in the ground can potentially reach 12-15' high. Our 1-2 year old plants are seed grown and can be expected to bear fruit as young as 3-4 years of age. The plants need an acidic to very acidic, fertile, well-draining soil rich in organic matter and with average moisture for optimum growth and vigor. These naturally understory plants can tolerate full sun to partly shaded conditions. Provide direct sunlight to high indirect sunlight if overwintering plants indoors. The small white flowers are pollinated by bees and other smaller pollinators. Item# 9582

Extra large, reportedly to nearly 1/2" in diameter, brilliant red berries literally cover up this dwarf and compact deciduous shrub throughout much of winter and may last into spring. Red Sprite Dwarf Winterberry Holly, a.k.a 'Nana', 'Compacta, and 'Macrocarpa', is a USDA release that won the 2010 Holly of the Year Award from the Holly Society of America. This adaptable native shrub drops its foliage early to better show of its display of colorful berries. It can be used en masse to great effect, as a low informal hedge, or as a specimen plant near the front of the garden or landscape. Red Sprite is even small enough to enjoy as a medium-sized container plant. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a moist acidic soil. Needs a male holly, of any species, for pollination that flowers at the same time. 'Southern Gentleman' and 'Apollo' are two males that are recommended. Item# 11887

A U.S. National Arboretum introduction, Sparkleberry Holly was selected for its ability to produce a dramatic, long-lasting display of deep glowing red berries in dense clusters that seemingly cover the generally upright to arching stems of this vigorous deciduous holly. Masses of tiny greenish white spring flowers are soon followed by small round fruit that ripen to a deep, clear red. In fall the foliage turns to yellow and is quickly shed to display the bare stems adorned with massive clusters of brilliantly colored berries that can remain well into spring. Item# 10723.

Beautiful yellow tubular blooms are born from spring to fall. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies make this a lovely vine for fence, arbor or trellis. Caterpillar host: Chalcedon Checkerspot. It is evergreen and vigorous, but easy to control. Item # 1075.

Large red berries cover the bare stems of this native deciduous shrub beginning in fall and lasting throughout much of winter and possibly into spring. Sunset Winterberry Holly develops into a medium-sized well branched shrub with a an upright to vase-shaped habit when young broadening with age. The textured deep green foliage may provide some yellow fall color prior to leaf fall if grown in full sun. Winterberry Hollies are easy to grow adaptable shrubs that produce clusters of small white flowers in spring that provide nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators. Sunset Winterberry Holly is a female and so will need a male pollinator that flowers at the same time for maximum berry production. 'Southern Gentleman' and 'Apollo' are two males that are recommended. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a moist acidic soil. Item# 11888

Clusters of soft yellow-orange tubular buds mature into medium orange tubular trumpet-shaped flowers that darken as they age. Flowering begins in late winter to early spring and continues cyclically throughout the growing season and finishing up in fall at the end of hummingbird season. Tangerine Princess Coral Honeysuckle, a Louisiana selection of Lonicera sempervirens, is a native, twining, deciduous, woody vine that is one of the longest flowering vines for attracting hummingbirds. The mother plant was discovered during a tour of the Dr. Charles Allen Nature Preserve in northern Louisiana with its namesake noted botanist, author, and retired professor Dr. Charles Allen, Ken and Sonie Milton, etal. Coral or Trumpet Honeysuckle will happily twine through a 6' high chain link fence or up an 8' arbor, trellis, or post. Caterpillar host: Chalcedon Checkerspot. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, fertile, well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. 1/4" red berries follow flowering and are a treat for songbirds. Item# 957

Redwing, Vining Maple, and Mariposa are among its many names, whatever you choose to call it this rather hardy vine with tropical origins creates quite a show throughout the warmer months of the year with a near continuous display of yellow, orchid-like flowers that are quickly followed by bright red, winged, maple-like seeds. Even the new growth is bright red adding to its color show. Grow Redwings as a vine or a sprawling shrub preferably in a sunny location and it should reward you for many years to come. Item # 1232.

Clusters of dainty white and green spring flowers are followed by dense clusters of glossy bright red berries that often last into spring (if the birds don't get them all!). The nectar and pollen laden flowers attract bees and smaller pollinators and even provide a caffiene kick. Warren's Red Possumhaw Holly, a selection of Ilex decidua, is a large growing, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub but could potentially be shaped into a small tree form. It has few if any pests or diseases and is quite tolerant of growing conditions from average moist to moderately wet and periodically flooded sites. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum growth, vigor, and fruit set. Almost any male native holly that flowers at the same time will pollinate the female Warren's Red Possumhaw Holly including the American Holly, Ilex opaca, and we also now offer the male Midas Possumhaw Holly as well. Item# 9146

A large type selection with an initially upright habit that rounds out with age as well as deeper green, slightly more evergreen foliage as compared to the species. The dense neat mound of deep green glossy foliage and red tinged stems is topped by clusters of white flowers in spring which make way to red berries ripening through purple and finally black. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators and the fruit attract songbirds and smaller fructivores. Withlacoochee® Walter's Viburnum is a selection of the southeastern native Viburnum obovatum and its dense mounding habit lends it to use anywhere a large-sized shrub is desired in the landscape. It is generally evergreen into zone 8A and tends to be deciduous to semi-evergreen in zones 6 and 7. Use this tough and easy native shrub in place of non-native hollies, Ligustrum, Red-Tip Photinia or anywhere a  disease resistant, low maintenance shrub is desired. Provide a full sun to part shade site in an average to well-drained soil for optimum vigor. Image courtesy of AgriStarts, all rights reserved. Item# 13396