With only 3 weeks left in the fall, some plants are putting out berries!

Today was simply beautiful and a typical central Texas fall day. A cool morning, in the 50s, turned into a nice afternoon, in the low 70s.

I was out early trying to get my first deer of the season. I didn’t even see one, but I enjoyed watching the day break and the land come to life, mainly the birds, as they started singing and going about their morning activities.

My hike in the afternoon was quite nice – I didn’t even break into a sweat. The bright red berries of a Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) were the first treat.

Yaupon Holly Berries

Here’s a closer view. They’re quite small, maybe 1/4 inch in diameter. They look like tiny tomatoes. They are the yaupon’s fruit and contain seeds. Most plants produce large quantities of fruit because most will not survive to become plants. Some are eaten, most don’t germinate, etc.

I saw several yaupon hollies and all were just overloaded with fruit. I think the wildlife will enjoy them.

Yaupon Holly Berries Closeup

Some of the Ashe Junipers (Juniperus ashei) also had berries. They’re harder to spot because they are a soft blue in color and they hide among the juniper’s green needles.

Ashe Juniper Berries