Finally Fall

Today is the first day the cooler temperatures have finally made me realize autumn has arrived in the Ozarks. The leaves haven't changed their colors much at my property, but the walnuts are plenty this year and they're falling like crazy. I dread the freezing cold of winter, but I love the colors and slower pace of this season... 

-Soon the frantic holiday shopping will begin in our shop - Rebecca's Bird Gardens

Autumn Interest ~ Snowberry

Along the fence row across from my property, I found a surprise hidden among the coralberry today... snowberry!

Symphoricarpos albus 'snowberry' is a (thicket-forming) shrub native to Missouri. Similar to its cousin, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus 'coralberry or buckbrush', most birds find the taste of these berries unappetizing. The fruit remains on the shrubs throughout the winter, but can provide an emergency food source for wildlife in the late winter/early spring (when all other natural food sources are deleted). Birds do, however, appreciate the dense thicket the shrubs provide as a shelter from the elements and protection from predators.

The leaves of both coralberry and snowberry are the host plant of the Snowberry Clearwing moth (a frequent visitor to my property). Click on this link for more photos and info... Snowberry Clearwing

I know that most people view this shrub, especially coralberry, as an invasive nuisance, but I love the autumn berries that persist throughout the colorless winter...

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