Uh-oh! Did I mmess up?! (NEED HELP WITH WINTERBERRY)
United States 
I just kidnapped two beautiful Winterberry trees about 2 meters tall from a ditch near a lowland area that is often flooded. I transplanted them near a ditch in my yard where they will be likely to continue to get plenty of water but with good drainage. But after reading a little more about my new beauties (still with bright red berries on them, see my photo) I have found that a male tree is required to produce berries! I assume these that I have are females, right? So...do I need to find a male to pollinate them? If so, how do I identify a male Winterberry in the winter when all trees look alike?!!!
4 Dec, 2008
Answers
I was afraid you'd say that. Okay...I am sure a male won't be far from the females...and it's not hard to find females in the winter landscape here...they are common natives...
4 Dec, 2008
There is one long term possibility. Take some berries off the existing females and grow your own. But if you are as old as me you may never live to see them. (Don't know how gender selection works with this tree.)
John.
4 Dec, 2008
It's only the females that carry the berries. If you find one without berries in the original location, there's a good chance you've found your male
4 Dec, 2008
Okay...one more question then...Does the male have to be of a particular maturity to pollinate? The two female trees I transplanted are just over 2 meters tall...do I need a male as big to pollinate...or can I find a younger tree? The reason I ask is because it was far from easy getting such large trees up out of the ground without doing major damage to the tap roots...
4 Dec, 2008
But not necessarily dumped in a ditch Andrew.
4 Dec, 2008
What do you mean, Sarraceniac? Please explain...
4 Dec, 2008
Oh boy. You said you found them in a ditch. I love having to explain the English SOH. It makes the joke really funny.
4 Dec, 2008
SOH? (am I slow, cuz I'm just not getting the joke...)
:-)
4 Dec, 2008
SOH = sense of humour.
No, the male does not have to be as mature as his wives, just as long as he has flowers for pollination
4 Dec, 2008
Sense of humor...DUH! I really do feel slow now...!
Sorry...that I missed the joke the first time...
Okay...well I will see what I can find...Hopefully I can find a stout enough fellow to manage my two beauties all by himself...*grin*
5 Dec, 2008
Previous question
They are gorgeous when in berry. Go back and find the male. One male, so I am informed, can pollinate up to 6 (some say 10) females, no male, no berries. But I refuse to go there. Lol.
I'm afraid I don't know what it looks like. We don't have them in the UK but I would post a question on a US forum if I were you.
John.
4 Dec, 2008