In addition to cover and color, many species and varieties of shrubs offer fruits for humans and for wildlife. These include the blueberries (Vaccinium), which occur in ornamental forms and also in low, spreading varieties, and the currants and gooseberries (Ribes), which offer black, purple, red, and white berries, depending on variety or species, that can be harvested and made into jellies and jams or simply left on the shrub to attract wildlife. The blackberries and raspberries (Rubus) are a diverse group of fruiting shrubs famous for their fruits but less desirable as garden shrubs because of their tenacious ability to spread if left untended. However, the fruits are harvested for preserves, pies, wines, and as ingredients in breads and other baked goods. The tangled thickets or briar patches that they form can be useful both as living hedges and as wildlife cover for quail, songbirds, and a variety of mammals.
Hollies and Hydrangeas
The hollies (Ilex) and inkberries are reasonably hardy shrubs that offer year-round beauty, color, and texture as landscape ornamentals. They are best known for their lustrous, bright green leaves, intricate spiny leaf shapes, and bright red berries, and they are especially desirable as plants during the winter holidays, when holly sprigs and berries brighten both outdoor yards and indoor holiday festivities. Many species offer cover and seasonal nesting habitat for a variety of bird species. Another favorite shrub is the hydrangea (Hydrangea), with its large clusters of flowers, it is available in both a compact growth form and larger varieties. Hydrangeas are most often used as decorative shrubs for shady or semishady and moist corners of lots and buildings.
See also: Medicinal Uses, Fruit Structure, Types of Inflorescence
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