Evening star., 1952-10-12

Inc perr1eQ SuIuUS are giving
much color to the shrub border
this fall. Even the dogwood ber-
ries are fatter than for several
years. Perhaps 1t was the fall
rains and cool nights that caused
them to fatten. But there are a
host of others that are making
the shrub border an unusually
bright spot. Berried shrubs should
not be entirely overlooked in Sc
lecting woody plants for the yard,
because they give spots of color
after frost has blackened the
perennials and ANIMALS. Choose
from the reds. the oranges and
perhaps there is room for blue
or purple one.
Berried shrubs are especially use
full in the Washington area since
hard frost need not be expected
until the end of November. Light
frosts seldom ruin the berry dis
play even though they put an end
to the Towering plants. One may
expect more birds in the yard
where berried shrubs are plentiful.
In selecting berried shrubs choose
those that persist into the winter.
The bush honeysuckle is free
fruiter, but its juicy berries dis
appear quickly once they are ripe.
And that is in midsummer. On
the other hand. few berries last as
well as those of the American.
English and Chinese hollies, and
the barberrieS. Even the beauty
berry'S fruit are darkened by sew
eral severe freezes: The high-bush
cranberry and the double-file
Viburnum. whose fruits have been
so colorful this summer, will soon
darken and dry. OF course, these
two are lucious and the birds will
turn to them quickly when other
sources of food diminish.
Select For Height.
Select berried shrubs for height,
as well as color of fruit. The
dwarfer shrubs include the bar
berries, the cotoneasterS, the
coralberry. snowberry, and the
beautyberry. OF medium height
are the rugosa roses, the firethorn,
winged burning-bush, chokeberry,
European burning bush and some
of the virburnums. Tall berried
shrubs include the high-bush
cranberries. the Sumacs. some of
the viburnums and the hollies.
Several trees have berries, such
as the dogwoods, the Towering
crabs. the hollies and the haw-
thornS.
Some of the berries are not con-
spicuous until after the leaves
have fallen. This is true of the
burning bushes whose scarlet
fruits open up to show q bright
yellow interior. Other berries are
relatively dull and seldom are no
ticed. The sweetshrub and the
hazlenut are examples.
The yews are fruiting shrubs,
but unfortunately few of the
plants ever seem to put on a show.
Perhaps they are not favorably To-
Gated. The yews that are heavily
mulched each year seem to fruit
more freely than those lacking this
attention.
Flowering Crabs Snowy.
Some Of the Towering crabs are
quite snowy which others are rela-
lively shortlived or are incon-
spicuous. The fruits of the Bech-
tel crab are large, purplish and
persisting, while those of the Si-
berian are snowy enough, but are
on the ground before the end of
September. The fruits of the
Japanese crab are tiny and do
not persist.
The Semi-evergreen f1rethorn
produces fruits in masses each
season and causes widespread
comment because Of their effec-
tive display. More use should be
made of this shrub since it Is toll
Grant Of soil and exposure. More
trouble is probably encountered
with the fruiting in crowded con-
ditions. but by dusting or spray
ing the fruits may be protected
even in such unfavorable sltua-
tions. Out in the open. the fire.
thorn Ppracantha coccinea, var
LalandD may be trained to hedge,
specimen shrub or used as a back
ground, and the fruits will catch
the eye of every passerby. There
is a new red-fruited variety being
offered for the first time this year
which may be more attractive to