Florida Landscape Plants With Berries

Partridge Berry

• The partridge berry plant (Mitchella repens) is a ground-cover type plant that produces bright red 1/2-inch berries in late summer. It is also referred to as twinberry, twinflower and running box. Another Florida native, this plant can be found growing wild in wooded areas. The dark evergreen foliage provides contrast for the berries, which often remain on the plant during the winter. This plant blooms from late spring to early summer, producing 1/2-inch-long, pale, pinkish-white flowers. Partridge berry is a useful landscape plant in rock gardens, beneath shrubs and trees, or in a hanging basket.

Leatherleaf Mahonia

• The leatherleaf mahonia (Mahonia bealei) is native to China but grows well in Florida. The berries produced by this plant are dark blue and grow in hanging clusters similar to grapes. This evergreen shrub reaches a height of 4 to 6 feet but can be kept short by pruning off several tall branches in the spring, encouraging new growth from the base. The foliage is blue-green with a slight gray tinge. This is a good landscape plant for shady northern or eastern exposures. It needs only two to four hours of direct sunlight each day to thrive.

Possumhaw Holly

• Possumhaw holly (Ilex decidua) is a deciduous holly, which means it drops its leaves in the fall, revealing an abundance of bright red berries. This type of holly is well-suited to Florida's weather and can be grown as a small tree, reaching a mature height of 7 to 15 feet, or pruned to grow in shrub form. They bloom briefly in May, producing small white flowers that are not particularly showy. Possumhaw hollies are either male or female plants. The berries form only on the female plants, however, and a male must be planted nearby for pollination to take place. These shrubs work well as the central focus in a landscape or as a hedge.

Cherry Laurel

• The cherry laurel (Prunus caroliniana), also referred to as Carolina cherry laurel, is a versatile landscape plant that produces 1/2-inch, dark blue fruit. This Florida native is an evergreen tree that can grow to 20 to 40 feet tall with a 10-inch trunk diameter. However, it tolerates trimming quite well and is commonly maintained as a small tree, shrub or topiary bush. The 2- to 4-inch-long leaves are a glossy pale green to dark green depending on the soil pH. A more acidic soil will cause darker green foliage. This shrub also produces 2- to 3-inch-long bunches of fragrant white flowers in late winter and early spring.