Last year, we had a bumper crop of Winterberries and, so far, it looks like this year will be as good or better than last year. (The images here were taken this morning.)
According to New England folklore, a profusion of Fall Winterberries means that a tough winter is coming. That didn’t happen last winter and our bet is that it won’t happen this year.
When the Winterberry plants’ leaves fall, the berries stand out in the winter landscape and last a long time if there are other foods for wildlife. The red fruits are not very nutritious, but are the default survival food for a reported 49 species of birds, deer, raccoons, and mice. Those berries only appear on the females of these deciduous holly bushes; the nearby Winterberry plants without berries (but with proud smiles on their faces) are the males. (Brooklin, Maine)