This is the season for marlberry

Marlberry is my favorite all purpose shrub for many reasons.  It grows in full sun, full shade, dry soil and wet soil.  It is just really hard to germinate the seed which is why you don't see it in most nurseries.

Even if you start with just a small plant, it will grow to 30 feet tall, but usually under 15, and sucker into a meandering screen that gives it a truly natural look.  This is a great way to block out views, as the suckers are just a few inches apart and can be kept at six feet or less  by occasional pruning.

I love the fruity smell of the flowers throughout the year and the large clusters of pea size black berries in March.  This is just when the migrating birds are fattening up before migration.  Catbirds will clean your shrub of almost all berries.

The marlberry in the photo is just three years after planting from a 7 gal. pot.  I picked one gallon of berries from each of the three plants that are now ten feet tall.  Too bad that the neighbors have exotics and cats and therefore only an occasional mockingbird, although I did benefit from having a seed source for this years crop of seedlings.