Berry good Fall color

In California when we think of Fall color we arte thinking of either Fall foliage like the North-east is famous for or the Fall flowers that we get here. There is another source of color for this time of year. Fall fruit and berries.

One we often don't think of for fall color are fruit trees. Pomogranates are famous for their wonderful fruits with deep cherry red seeds breaking out of the covering. Persimmons with their orange fruit hanging on after the foliage turns and falls is another. Citrus, especially Tangelos , are another source of attractive color. Tangelos look like nothing but rich orange Christmas ornaments all winter long.

Berry producers include Pyracantha, Californias answer to Holly berries for Christmas. Flowering Crabapples are another source of colorful fall and winter berries. Cotoneaser is a group of shrubs with varieties staying in the 2'3 ft range up to 8-10 ft tall and wide. If you have room I especially like cotoneaster lactea an evergreen shrub to 8' + with white flowers in the Spring and clusters of red berries all winter.

Other things to consider include Arbutus marina and Arbutus unedo compacta. the first grows to a medium sized tree and the second stays as a large 8-10' multitrunked shrub. Both have winter flowers and winter red berries.