Re: Dogwoods and Holly
Bill Bridgeland (wtbwild@erols.com)
Thu, 26 Nov 1998 10:13:50 -0500
Paula,
While some fruits do need a frost to completely ripen (e.g. persimmon)
as far as I can tell from my references, flowering dogwood isn't one
of them. I have seen many birds feeding on dogwoods before frost. As
a rule, the fruit color signals ripeness (seeds mature, maximum
nutrition, minimum toxins) to wildlife, so when the berries are bright
red, they are ready! Some plants enhance the signal to birds that the
fruits are ripe with foliage (called the "foliar flag" theory) which
is what Virginia creeper (and perhaps some grapes) is doing when it
changes color before most trees to bring down those robin flocks.
As far as the effects of the drought, you may be right to be concerned
about this year's fruit production, but it may be worse next year
because many plants have already set their flower buds for next
spring. There may be fewer of these (which of course become next
year's fruit) due to drought stress, and worse, entering winter with
such dry soils will increase winter kill due to water stress, so many
buds may die. If we get substantial rains before the worst freezes,
this effect may not be so bad. On a more positive note, the birds'
mobility on their wintering grounds generally allows them to seek out
places where food is available.
Bill Bridgeland
Sparks, MD