How Do You Identify Shrubs With Berries?
Many types of shrubs produce berries from their flowers that, unless wildlife consumes them, eventually go to seed, ensuring the continuation of the species. You can identify some of these shrubs by the berries. The leaf shape, leaf color and height of the shrub will help you recognize the plant, especially if you refer to a guide to tree and shrub identification. Use your sense of smell to identify the spicebush. Break off a small twig and rub it; a spicebush twig will release a spicy aroma that many find pleasant. Spicebush grows to 12 feet high and prospers even in full shade, preferring moist soil. Note that its yellow flowers are among the first to develop, with warm winter days making it possible for them to bloom before March in some locations. The berries are green in spring and early summer but ripen to a reddish hue by summer’s end; they are edible and often used in recipes such as applesauce, with a flavor that mimics that of allspice. The fruit of the serviceberry looks lik
