By Matt Maloney
As the landscape begins to put on its white cloak of snow, there are occasional orbs of deep red scattered here and there in wet areas. While the wild fruits of summer and fall are long gone, eaten by birds and other wildlife, the berries of the winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) often persist throughout the winter. These scarlet fruits create a wonderful contrast with the snowy landscape.
kAm(96? >2?J @7 FD E9:?< @7 9@==J[ 6DA64:2==J 2C@F?5 E96 r9C:DE>2D D62D@?[ H6 A:4EFC6 E96 E9@C?J[ 6G6C8C66? =62G6D @7 E96 p>6C:42? 9@==J Wx=6I @A242X] {:<6 @E96C 9@==:6D[ p>6C:42? 9@==J 92D C65 36CC:6D[ 2?5 E@ >2?J :ED 6G6C8C66? =62G6D C6AC6D6?E 6E6C?2= =:76 5FC:?8 E96 =@?8 ?:89ED 4=@D6 E@ E96 H:?E6C D@=DE:46]k^Am
kAm&?=:<6 >@DE @E96C DJ>3@=D @7 H:?E6C[ E9@F89[ p>6C:42? 9@==J :D 7@F?5 >@C6 @7E6? :? E96 D@FE9] xE’D 6DA64:2==J 4@>>@? 2=@?8 E96 D2?5J 4@2DE2= A=2:? D@:=D 7C@> |2CJ=2?5 E@ {@F:D:2?2] x? }6H t?8=2?5[ :E C62496D :ED ?@CE96C? E6C>:?FD 2E D42EE6C65 =@42E:@?D :? D@FE962DE6C? |2DD249FD6EED 2?5 r2A6 r@5] x?DE625[ E96 4@>>@? 9@==J @7 >@DE @7 }6H t?8=2?5 :D E96 564:5F@FD H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==J]k^Am
kAmx’G6 2=H2JD 25>:C65 H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==J 7@C :ED 4@=@C 2E 2 E:>6 @7 J62C H96? 3C:89E 4@=@CD 2C6 D@ 23D6?E 7C@> E96 =2?5D42A6] p>:5DE E96 H9:E6 42?G2D @7 2 7C6D9 D?@H72==[ :ED D42C=6E 36CC:6D AC@G:56 2 H@?56C7F= 2?5 4966C:?8 4@?EC2DE] x’G6 @7E6? H@?56C65[ H9J 5@ E96J <66A E96:C 36CC:6Dn s@6D?’E 2== H:=5=:76 D4@@A FA ?2EFC6’D 7CF:EDnk^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 7@C >2?J J62CD E9:D H2D 2 3:E @7 2 >JDE6CJ E@ >6[ x D9@F=5 7:CDE D2J E92E E96 ?F>36C @7 36CC:6D 42? G2CJ BF:E6 2 3:E 7C@> A=2?E E@ A=2?E] $@>6 H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==:6D x D2H :? @?6 2C62 C646?E=J H6C6 >@DE=J 56G@:5 @7 7CF:E[ E9@F89 E96C6 H6C6 DE:== D@>6 36CC:6D :? 8@@5 D92A6] p C646?E 5C:G6 E9C@F89 E96 >2CD96D 2?5 H6E=2?5D @7 $@FE9 %2>H@CE9 D9@H65 >2?J 5H2C7 H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==:6D 7F== @7 F?E@F4965 36CC:6D[ A=F>A 2?5 3C:89E 2D 42? 36]k^Am
kAmx C6>6>36C @? @?6 A255=6 :? =2E6 ~4E@36C 2=@?8 E96 @FE=6E @7 E96 z:>32== !@?5D :? uCJ63FC8[ x D2H E96 3C:89E C65 @C3D @7 H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==:6D 6G6CJH96C6 2=@?8D:56 E96 >62?56C:?8 DEC62>[ 2?5 A:4<65 2 76H 7@C 7FEFC6 r9C:DE>2D 564@C2E:@?D] w6C6 2E %:? |@F?E2:?[ H6 92G6 2 76H H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==:6D E92E 8C@H 25;246?E E@ G6C?2= A@@=D] p 76H 36CCJ\=256? 3C2?496D 2=H2JD >2<6 :E E@ @FC HC62E9\>2<:?8 AC@8C2>D 2?5 255 2 362FE:7F= DA=2D9 @7 C65 7@C A2CE:4:A2?EDV HC62E9D]k^Am
kAm$@ H9J 5@ E96 3:C5D D66> E@ :8?@C6 E9:D G:G:5 C65 7CF:En q:C5D 5@ :? 724E 62E H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==:6D[ 3FE E96J 2C6 ?@E E96:C 7:CDE 49@:46] !6C92AD E96:C =2DE 49@:46[ 6G6?] xVG6 @442D:@?2==J D66? C@3:?D 7665:?8 @? H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==:6D 2E E96 G6CJ 6?5 @7 H:?E6C 2D E96 D?@H >6=ED] (9@ H@F=5 E9:?< 2?J 7CF:E H@F=5 DE:== 36 65:3=6 3J E96?nk^Am
kAm|@DE @7 @FC DF>>6C 36CC:6D[ DF49 2D 3=F636CC:6D 2?5 D6CG:4636CC:6D[ 5642J C2E96C BF:4<=J]k^Am
kAm(:=5=:76 >FDE 7:?5 E96> H9:=6 E96 7665:?8 :D 8@@5] q6CC:6D @7 E96 72== D62D@? 42? @7E6? DE2J @? E96 3C2?496D 7@C >F49 @7 E96 H:?E6C[ :?4=F5:?8 @FC D6>:\H:=5 2?5 4F=E:G2E65 4C232AA=6 EC66D] x? E96 42D6 @7 H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==J[ :E H@F=5 D66> E92E E96 36CC:6D 2C6 =6DD E92? :562=] x?5665[ E96 7CF:ED 92G6 2 A@@C ?FEC:6?E AC@7:=6[ =@H :? 72ED 2?5 @:=D 2?5 9:896C :? 42C3@9J5C2E6D] ~:=D 2?5 72ED 2C6 H92E 3:C5D A2CE:4F=2C=J ?665 :? E96 H:?E6C[ 2D E9:D 2==@HD E96> E@ AFE @? 6DD6?E:2= H6:89E :?DE625 @7 3FC?:?8 FA 42C3@9J5C2E6D 7@C BF:4< 6?6C8J]k^Am
kAmxE D9@F=5 36 ?@E65 E92E H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==J 36CC:6D 2C6 E@I:4 E@ 5@8D[ 42ED[ 2?5 9F>2?D] %96J 4@?E2:? E96@3C@>:?6[ 2 E@I:? C6=2E65 E@ 42776:?6 E92E 2=D@ 2AA62CD :? 65:3=6 5@D6D :? A=2?ED DF49 2D E96 4242@ 362?] (9:=6 D@>6 H:=5=:76 42? 62E E96@3C@>:?6[ :E :D D@>6E:>6D E96@C:K65 E92E E96 E@I:? >2<6D 7@C 2? F?A2=2E23=6 7=2G@C E@ D@>6 3:C5D]k^Am
kAm|:8C2E:?8 C@3:?D @C @E96C E9CFD96D H:== D@>6E:>6D 564:>2E6 2 A2E49 @7 H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==:6D 5FC:?8 E96:C =2E6 72== >:8C2E:@? 2C@F?5 }@G6>36C[ 3FE @E96C 9@==J EC66D H:== C6>2:? F?E@F4965 7@C >F49 @7 E96 H:?E6C] $@>6 3:C5 DA64:6D 364@>6 ?@>25:4 :? E96 H:?E6C[ :? D62C49 @7 D665D @C @E96C 7@@5 D@FC46D] pE D@>6 A@:?E :? E96 H:?E6C[ D@>6 @G6CH:?E6C:?8 C@3:?D @C 7CF:E\D66<:?8 4652C H2IH:?8D >2J 56D46?5 FA@? 2 H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==J ?62C J@F 2?5 4=62C @FE :ED C6>2:?:?8 7CF:E :? 2 D9@CE E:>6] *@F ?6G6C <?@H H96? E96 3:C5D H:== 8:G6 :? 2?5 D66< @FE =6DD6C 7@@5 D@FC46D] t?;@J E96 362FEJ @7 E96 36CC:6D H9:=6 J@F 42?Pk^Am
kAm%96 D2>6 8@6D 7@C G2C:@FD DA64:6D @7 4C232AA=6 EC66D 2?5 @E96C EC66D E92E 92?8 @?E@ 7CF:E]k^Am
kAm$@>6E:>6D 2 =2C86C DA64:6D @7 H2IH:?8 E92? @FC ?2E:G6 4652C H2IH:?8[ E96 3@96>:2? H2IH:?8[ H:== 56D46?5 FA@? 4C232AA=6 EC66D 2?5 H:?E6C36CCJ 9@==:6D] q2?5D @7 3@96>:2? H2IH:?8D 7=@4<k^Am
kAm5@H? 7C@> E96 72C ?@CE96C? C62496D @7 r2?252 :? D62C49 @7 7CF:E 2E D@>6 A@:?E ?62C=J 6G6CJ H:?E6C] %96 4C232AA=6 EC66D @? |2:? $EC66E :? }@CE9 r@?H2J 2?5 ?62C @E96C =@42= 3FD:?6DD6D D@>6E:>6D 9@DE E96> 5FC:?8 E96D6 G:D:ED[ FDF2==J 7@C ?@ >@C6 E92? 2 76H 52JD 367@C6 E96 3:C5D >@G6 @? :? D62C49 @7 >@C6 7CF:E7F= =@42=6D] t?;@J E96 7CF:ED @7 H:?E6C H:E9 J@FC 6J6D 2?5 =62G6 E96 36CC:6D 7@C E96 3:C5D E9:D }6H *62C]k^Am
kAmk6>m|2EE |2=@?6J :D 2 ?2EFC2=:DE^E62496C 2E %:? |@F?E2:? r@?D6CG2E:@? r6?E6C]k^6>mk^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.