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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsLocal newsFlashes of Color in the Trees Brighten Up the Holiday Season

Flashes of Color in the Trees Brighten Up the Holiday Season

Clumps of ripe Pigeon Berries hang like holiday ornaments. (Photo by Gail Karlsson)

Red berries on evergreen holly trees are classic symbols of hope and joy in snowy climates. In the Virgin Islands, we have lots more options for seasonal delight among the local trees.

Most visible are the Pigeon Berry trees (Bourreria succulenta), which are thick with bunches of small fruits turning from green to orange to red – many more berries than pigeons to eat them. I tasted one of the reddest berries myself, but it did not spark joy, so I left the rest for the birds.

Guavaberry trees (Myrciaria floribunda) are harder to find and are just now producing fruit. These berries are used to flavor the traditional West Indian holiday drink brewed with wine and rum, raisins, other fruits and spices. They also add a touch of vitamin C to the sugary concoction.

Guavaberries are the subject of a popular local Christmas song. (Photo by Gail Karlsson)

There are some Canker Berry trees in my yard too (Solanum bahamense). These small trees are in the nightshade family and are common in coastal areas in the West Indies. They are related to tomatoes, and the little berries do look like tiny cherry tomatoes, but they are not good to eat.

Small Canker Berries grow in a row rather than individually or in a cluster. (Photo by Gail Karlsson)

Across the road there are a few red berries on a low Jumbie Pepper plant (Rivina humilis), also sometimes called Cat’s Blood. They look dark and inviting, but the word ‘jumbie’ in their name indicates they may be dangerous.

Juice from the Jumbie Pepper fruits has been used to make inks and dyes. (Photo by Gail Karlsson)

Another tiny red fruit caught my eye on a small tree near the south shore (Crossopetalum rhacoma). It is called Maidenberry by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which sounds very demure. However, in Jamaica it has sometimes been called Poison Cherry. Nevertheless, it is apparently sweet and eaten by some birds and other wildlife.

Small Maidenberry trees have light leathery leaves and solitary berries. (Photo by Gail Karlsson)

Sweet Lime or Limeberry (USDA) Triphasia trifolia, is not native but has become naturalized in the Virgin Islands. In some areas it has become invasive because the birds enjoy these small red fruits and spread the seeds widely. When my sons were small, we used to eat a few of them too – only the very ripe, reddest ones.

Small Sweet Limes start out green and then turn red when they are ripe. (Photo by Gail Karlsson)

Though all these berries are bright and cheerful, the most fun spot of red I see in the trees is when a Scarlet Ibis comes by my house and lands in the black mangroves. What a gift!

A Scarlet Ibis has been living on St. John for the past several years. (Photo by Gail Karlsson)

Happy holidays to all!

*Gail Karlsson is an environmental lawyer, writer and photographer. She is the author of two books about the Virgin Islands – The Wild Life in an Island House, and the guide book Learning About Trees and Plants – A Project of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. John. She has also recently published A Birds’ Guide to The Battery and New York Harbor. Follow her on Instagram @gailkarlsson and gvkarlsson.blogspot.com.

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