Crabapple Berries

Crabapple berries added to one of my outside grapevine wreaths. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Crabapple Berries

If you have crabapple trees on your property, you most likely have a free and ready source for one of the prettiest additions to any outside decorative wreath.

I have several grapevine wreaths made from wild grapevines that grow on my Missouri limestone hillside. I keep them updated through the four seasons with a variety of green and dried plants, depending on the season. I tend to pick dried plants because of the way they look. Sometimes what I end up picking is delicious and I may find the wreath taken apart.

That’s what happened to this small grapevine wreath on the door to my garage. I updated the wreath with green magnolia leaves, the fun brown cat tails and, just in time for the holidays, red crabapple branches full of delicious looking tiny berries..

The crabapple branches are beautiful all by themselves. I was very tempted to gather these into a flower vase and just leave them on my dining room table. Their grey branches add some color and interest against darker green backgrounds.

Crabapple berries are a rich dark cherry red, perfect for holiday decorating. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

instead, I scattered the crabapple branches through several outside grapevine wreaths, adding a lovely pop of color. It doesn’t take much, just a few berries on a branch are enough to give the wreath a festive look.

Just a few berries will quickly update and make an outside wreath festive. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I don’t spray a wilt proof product on any of these decorative additions because birds and wildlife do snack on some of my wreaths.

So who wants to bet how long it takes for something to snack on these lovely red berries?

Charlotte