14 Garden Shrubs with Red Berries

American Winterberry 'Red Sprite'

This species of holly (Ilex verticillata) has the brightest red berries of all. If you've grown holly, you know it's necessary to have three shrubs total (two males and one female) in order to pollinate for berry production; if a female shrub is not pollinated it won't produce berries. Red Sprite is a good semi-dwarf variety that grows up to 5 feet tall, with good berry production. The birds will flock to your holly for the berries that may linger through spring, but tese berries should not be eaten by humans or pets. This holly is deciduous and not evergreen, often the berries will remain after the leaves fall off.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9, cold and heat tolerant
• Light: Partial sun to full sun
• Mature Size: 3-5 feet tall and wide
• Berries: Edible to birds, mildly toxic to humans, cats, dogs

Red Currants

The red currant bush (Ribes rubrum) has translucent, glassy looking red berries that make a delicious jelly! The tart berries are also a tasty snack for songbirds. The berries also come in a white variety that is somewhat sweeter than the red ones. Native to Europe, this shrub is widely cultivated for its fruit, which is rich in vitamin C. The famous Linzer torte of Austria typically uses red currant jelly for its filling. Red currents are rich in vitamins B and C, and like most berries, full of beneficial fiber.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 5, very cold hardy
• Light: Morning sun, afternoon shade
• Mature Size: 3-5 feet tall
• Berries: Edible to humans and wildlife

Red Chokeberry

Red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) is native to eastern Canada and the eastern and central United States. With its white flowers in spring, glossy red berries in summer, and gorgeous red autumn foliage, it has three seasons of visual interest. The flowers in spring attract butterflies. The fleshy berries attract birds from late fall through winter. The shrub, akin to a small tree, is upright and tends to put out suckers.

The berries have a sour, astringent taste, used to make jams, wine, candy, syrup and other foods. They can be eaten raw but most people find them a bit too sour to enjoy in their natural state.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9, cold and heat tolerant
• Light: Partial sun to full sun
• Mature Size: 5-10 feet high, 3-5 feet wide
• Berries: Edible to birds

Linden Viburnum

This deciduous deer-resistant shrub, native to eastern Asia, was introduced to the mid-Atlantic states in the early 1800s. The Linden viburnum (Viburnum dilatatum), also known as linden arrowwood, is named for the leaves which resemble linden tree leaves. It puts out clusters of small white flowers in spring followed by dense clusters of red berries in autumn, which gradually turn a blackish red color in winter.

Birds eat the berries in winter. In autumn the leaves turn shades of red and copper. There are various cultivars which differ somewhat in shape and form, including 'Iroquois,' 'Oneida', 'Michael Dodge', and 'Mt. Airy'. It grows somewhat aggressively, forming dense thickets quickly if not controlled.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5a to 8b, somewhat cold tolerant
  
• Light: Partial sun to full sun
• Mature Size: 8-10 feet high and wide
• Berries: Edible to birds

Spindle Tree

This beautiful upright shrub is native to much or Europe, hence its other common name European Spindle. The spindle tree (Euonymus europaeus) bears red fruits attractive to birds and the birds help this plant reseed widely so it has a reputation for being somewhat invasive.

The small white flowers in spring are unremarkable, but the colorful pink-red capsules that open to reveal orange seeds are showy and distinctive in autumn, along with the shift of the leaves' colors, ranging from yellow to reddish purple.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 7, cold tolerant
  
• Light: Partial shade to full sun
• Mature Size: 12-20 feet high, 2 to 3 feet wide
• Berries: Edible to birds

Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster shrubs hail from China, Europe, temperate Asia and North Africa. They have been cultivated in various regions for their value as a larval plant food for butterflies and as a nectar source for bees. They make an attractive landscape shrub, are strong and hardy, and the red berries attract blackbirds and thrushes.

Some of the more popular cultivars are 'Coral Beauty', 'Queen of Carpets', 'Juliette', and 'Pink Champagne'. They come in various sizes and forms also, from low-growing ground covers to tall hedges. Most of them bear white flowers in spring and feature colorful autumn foliage as the red berries appear.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
  
• Light: Partial sun to full sun
• Mature Size: varies with variety (ground cover to 6' hedge)
• Berries: Edible to birds, but slightly toxic to humans (in large amounts)

Strawberry Tree

This broadleaf evergreen shrub has four seasons of visual interest for the garden. Native to France, Ireland and the Mediterranean region, the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) is also known as Dalmatian strawberry or cane apples. It's a popular garden shrub for its attractive berries, but these fruits, while edible, are rather bland and mealy.

The strawberry tree develops an attractive twisted and gnarled in appearance as it matures. It displays fragrant bell-shaped white flowers in the fall. If bees pollinate the flowers, they will form the fruits that appear in winter, first yellow, then red. This is a very pest and disease resistant shrub as well.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 10, not cold hardy
  
• Light: Partial sun to full sun
• Mature Size: 6-15 feet tall
• Berries: Edible to birds

Bunchberry

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) is also known as creeping dogwood. This low-growing evergreen has showy red berries that birds like to eat. It's a good plant for shady woodland areas and grows well at the base of trees, though it doesn't tolerate foot traffic well. Creamy white flowers appear in spring. The fruits ripen in August and will stay on the plant until late fall unless birds find them first.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 6
  
• Light: Partial sun to part shade
• Mature Size: 3-9 feet tall
• Berries: Edible
  

Wild Coffee Plant

The wild coffee plant (Psychotria nervosa) is not a true coffee plant but is closely related. The white flowers provide nectar for the Atala butterfly, a rare butterfly species found in Florida. The dark red fruits do not contain caffeine, but they can be roasted like other coffee berries. Birds and other wildlife enjoy eating the small fruits, especially cardinals, catbirds, bluejays, and mockingbirds,

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11, not cold hardy
  
• Light: Partial sun to full shade
• Mature Size: 4-10 feet tall
• Berries: Edible
  

Spotted Laurel

Spotted laurel (Aucuba japonica) is a woody evergreen shrub also known as Japanese laurel. It is native to China, Japan, and Korea. The bright green leaves have lighter green or gold variegated markings. There are a number of cultivars available with variations in size and coloring. The 'Rozannie' cultivar is self-fertile and doesn't need a male for berry production.

The bright red berries persist through the winter and are attractive to birds, but mildly toxic if consumed by people or pets.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 10
  
• Light: Partial sun to part shade
• Mature Size: 5-15 feet tall
• Berries: Edible to birds, mildly toxic to pets and people
  

Red Beauty Holly

'Red Beauty' holly (Ilex rutzan) is a hybrid and more compact than other holly trees. It has dense leaf growth and makes a nice bushy holly shrub that doesn't need pruning. This holly has lovely deep green leaves and bright red berries. A male blue holly (like 'Blue Boy' or 'Blue Prince') makes a good companion for berry production.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 10
  
• Light: Partial sun to full sun
• Mature Size: 6-10 feet tall, 4-5 feet wide
• Berries: Edible to birds, mildly toxic to people and pets
  

American Holly

American holly (Ilex opaca) is native to the eastern and south central United States. Like other holly trees, this one produces red berries on the female plants. The 'Croonenburg' variety is self-pollinating. The leaves on the American holly are less glossy than those of European holly (Ilex aquifolium).

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
  
• Light: Partial sun to full sun
• Mature Size: 20-60 feet tall
• Berries: Edible to birds, mildly toxic to people and pets

Evergreen Dogwood

The evergreen dogwood (Cornus capitata) is also sometimes called Himalayan flowering dogwood. It is native to the woodlands of the Himalayas, in China, India, and Pakistan. The white flowers appear in summer and the red berries, which resemble round strawberries, appear in the fall, attracting birds.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 8 to 9, not cold hardy
  
• Light: Full sun to part shade
• Mature Size: 20- 40 feet tall
• Berries: Edible to birds
  

Silver Buffaloberry

Silver buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea) is a deciduous shrub that is native to the northern and western United States and Canada. Other varieties include Canadian buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis) and roundleaf buffaloberry (Shepherdia rotundifolia). This shrub produces bright red tart berries that can be used to make jam or desserts. Bears find them tasty and seek them out to consume before their winter hibernation period.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
  
• Light: Full sun
• Mature Size: 2-8 feet tall
• Berries: Edible