Vines That Produce Berries

Spring Berries

• Raspberries, blackberries, boysenberry are among the many berries of the genus Rubus that are produced in spring. Sometimes these vines will continue producing berries into early summer, or in the case of some varieties of raspberries, into fall. The vines these berries grow on are known as canes. They will produce for two years, then are replaced by younger canes. Remove the old canes by pruning them at the base of the plant. The old canes will have mature looking brown wood and the new canes will be green.

Summer Berries

• Vines that produce their berries in summer include grapes (Vitis) and loganberry (Ribis x loganobaccus). Grape vines grow rapidly once they are established and the grapes, which grow in shades of purple or green, look lovely hanging down from an arbor. A loganberry is a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry, so expect it to have lower growing canes instead of long vines like a grape.

  Prune grape vines in January. Remove the old canes of the loganberry once they are two years old, using the same technique you would for raspberries or blackberries.

Fall Berries

• Berries produced on vines in the fall include porcelain berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata), magnolia vine (Schisandra chinensis), goji berry (Lycium) and bittersweet (Celastrus). Many of these berries will persist into the winter if they are not picked and. if birds do not eat them, will still be on the vines come spring. Porcelainberry is a member of the grape family and produces pretty pink and blue grape-like berries. Magnolia vine and goji berry produce bright red berries. Bittersweet produces orange and yellow berries that are often used in fall decorations.

Winter Berries

• Apple berry vine (Billardiera scandens) produces its berries in winter. The yellow flowers appear in summer, then fade to purple. They are attractive to both birds and butterflies. Apple berry is a twining plant that some people prune into a shrub to keep its growth controlled. The vibrant purple or pink berries of this evergreen vine really stand out against the snow in the winter garden.