Fall Berries & Wildlife

Fall is an important time for wildlife in Florida. As summer flowers begin to fade, many native trees and shrubs begin producing berries, fruits, and seeds that provide valuable food for birds and other wildlife.

Adding plants with fall berries to your landscape can bring more than seasonal color. These plants can help create a living habitat that provides food, shelter, nesting opportunities, and year-round ecological value.

At Flowing Well Tree Farm, we grow a selection of Florida-native plants that can help transform an ordinary landscape into a thriving wildlife garden.

American Beautyberry — Callicarpa americana

American Beautyberry is one of the most recognizable native Florida shrubs for fall wildlife interest. Its clusters of bright purple berries form along the stems and create a spectacular display.

The berries are an important food source for birds and other wildlife, making Beautyberry an excellent choice for a backyard wildlife garden. Its natural, open growth habit also works beautifully in informal and naturalized landscapes.

Best for: Wildlife gardens, bird gardens, native hedges, woodland edges, and naturalized landscapes.

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Native Elderberry — Sambucus nigra

Native Elderberry is a fast-growing native shrub that provides multiple benefits throughout the year. Clusters of flowers attract pollinators, followed by dark berries that can provide food for birds and wildlife.

Its larger size makes it useful for creating a natural screen or layered wildlife habitat.

Best for: Wildlife gardens, pollinator gardens, naturalized areas, hedges, and moist landscapes.

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Dahoon Holly — Ilex cassine

Dahoon Holly is an excellent native evergreen tree for combining year-round structure with seasonal berries.

Female plants produce attractive red berries that can persist into the cooler months and provide food for birds. Its evergreen foliage also gives wildlife valuable cover while maintaining landscape interest throughout the year.

Best for: Wildlife habitat, privacy plantings, wet areas, native landscapes, and specimen planting.

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American Holly — Ilex opaca

American Holly is a classic native evergreen with glossy green foliage and bright red berries.

The berries provide an important seasonal food source for birds, while the dense evergreen foliage provides shelter and nesting habitat. Its combination of berries and year-round greenery makes it an excellent choice for a wildlife-focused landscape.

Best for: Privacy screens, specimen trees, wildlife gardens, and evergreen landscapes.

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Yaupon Holly — Ilex vomitoria

Yaupon Holly is one of Florida's most versatile native evergreen shrubs and small trees.

Female plants can produce abundant red berries that provide seasonal food for birds. Its dense branching structure also creates valuable cover for wildlife.

Yaupon is highly adaptable and can be used as a hedge, foundation plant, specimen, or naturalized planting.

Best for: Hedges, privacy screens, wildlife gardens, coastal landscapes, and native landscapes.

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Weeping Yaupon Holly — Ilex vomitoria 'Pendula'

Weeping Yaupon Holly offers the same wildlife benefits of Yaupon Holly in a distinctive weeping form.

Its cascading branches create an attractive architectural shape while female plants can produce red berries that add seasonal color and wildlife value.

Best for: Specimen planting, entryways, wildlife gardens, and smaller landscapes.

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Eagleston Holly — Ilex × attenuata

Eagleston Holly is a popular evergreen holly valued for its dense growth, attractive foliage, and ability to create an excellent privacy screen.

When female plants produce berries, the bright red fruit provides additional seasonal interest and wildlife value. Its naturally upright form makes it particularly useful for creating living walls and privacy plantings.

Best for: Privacy hedges, screens, specimen planting, and wildlife-friendly landscapes.

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East Palatka Holly — Ilex × attenuata

East Palatka Holly is another excellent evergreen holly for Florida landscapes.

Its glossy foliage and red berries provide a combination of year-round greenery and seasonal wildlife interest. It can be used as a specimen tree or incorporated into larger privacy and habitat plantings.

Best for: Privacy screens, specimen trees, wildlife gardens, and native-adapted landscapes.

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Native Persimmon — Diospyros virginiana

Native Persimmon offers one of the most valuable combinations of fall color and wildlife food.

As the seasons change, the tree can provide attractive foliage while its orange fruits mature. The fruit is enjoyed by numerous species of wildlife and can also be harvested when fully ripe.

Its native status makes it particularly valuable as part of a wildlife-oriented landscape.

Best for: Wildlife gardens, edible landscapes, native food forests, naturalized areas, and larger properties.

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Mayhaw — Crataegus aestivalis

Mayhaw is a Florida native fruiting tree that provides spring flowers followed by small red fruits. While the fruit is prized by people for making traditional mayhaw jelly and preserves, it can also contribute to wildlife habitat.

Its thorny branching structure can provide shelter and protection for birds and other wildlife.

Best for: Wildlife gardens, edible landscapes, wet areas, food forests, and naturalized properties.

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Native Viburnum — Viburnum obovatum

Native Viburnum is an excellent Florida-native shrub for wildlife landscapes. Its flowers attract pollinators, while its subsequent berries can provide food for birds.

It can also be useful as a dense hedge or screening plant, giving wildlife both food and protective cover.

Best for: Native hedges, wildlife gardens, borders, pollinator gardens, and naturalized landscapes.

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Flatwood Plum — Prunus umbellata

Flatwood Plum is a Florida-native small tree that provides multiple seasons of interest. Its flowers attract pollinators, while its plum-like fruits provide food for wildlife and can also be enjoyed by people.

Its natural branching habit makes it a valuable addition to native and wildlife-focused landscapes.

Best for: Wildlife gardens, native landscapes, edible landscapes, and naturalized areas.

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Chickasaw Plum — Prunus angustifolia

Chickasaw Plum is a native fruiting tree that provides spring flowers followed by small plums that are valuable to wildlife.

Its dense growth and thorny branches can also provide cover and nesting habitat for birds. It is particularly useful in naturalized landscapes and wildlife plantings.

Best for: Wildlife habitat, edible landscapes, hedges, naturalized areas, and food forests.

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Native Mulberry — Morus rubra

Native Mulberry is an important wildlife tree because its fruits can provide abundant food for birds and other animals.

The tree also provides shade and habitat, making it a valuable addition to larger wildlife gardens, food forests, and naturalized properties.

Best for: Wildlife gardens, food forests, shade, naturalized landscapes, and larger properties.

Create a Wildlife-Friendly Fall Landscape

The best wildlife gardens combine several different types of plants so that food and shelter are available throughout the year.

Consider combining:

Berry-producing plants: Beautyberry, Elderberry, Hollies, Viburnum

Fruit-producing trees: Native Persimmon, Mayhaw, Flatwood Plum, Chickasaw Plum, Native Mulberry

Evergreen shelter: Dahoon Holly, American Holly, Yaupon Holly, Eagleston Holly

Flowering plants: Firebush, Coral Honeysuckle, Native Azalea, and native wildflowers

This creates a landscape that changes with the seasons while providing valuable resources for birds, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife.

Plant for Wildlife. Plant for the Future.

A beautiful landscape can also be a productive habitat. By choosing Florida-native plants that produce berries, fruit, flowers, seeds, and protective cover, you can create a landscape that works with nature instead of simply decorating it.

Bring color to your landscape.
Bring wildlife to your yard.
Plant Florida natives.
Grow something that gives back.