Trees w/berries 02-03-09

Here in SCalifornia it seems there is always some variety of tree w/berries at almost every time of year. These pictures are all of red berries, but different seasons have different berries or different colors.

This is a Brazilian Pepper which in the 1960s was widely planted as a street tree - I can't imagine why because they are very messy trees, always dropping something on the sidewalks. In front of the brand new house we had in Huntington Beach there was one directly in the way of the pathway we wanted to put in. So, one morning we were out there bright and early to dig a large hole about five feet away and move the scrawny thing out of our way. We must have done something right because it grew taller and faster than any other on the block. I should drive down and see what it looks like 45 years later - or if someone chopped it down in frustration.

I couldn't resist being 'arty' and including the moon in this shot. It was about 4:30pm and 72F.

These are the berries on a California Pepper tree. The picture was taken in September 2008.

This is the Pyracantha which grows in the corner of the patio home development behind our house. The fence is eight feet high, so I think this qualifies as a tree. Sometimes we have cedar waxwings visit in the winter, but I haven't seen any this year.

I've noticed the wild elderberry trees are in flower, so they will probably be the next berries we see here - dark blue-black. Unfortunately, the climate here is too dry to put any 'meat' on the berries - inside we find just seeds and 'gristle'.