Photo by Jim Jung. All rights reserved

Winterberries

Should you encounter a small, leafless tree along the edge of the forest loaded with red berries the odds are very good that you're seeing the Winterberry, a deciduous holly. Resist the temptation to sample the berries however since these colorful fruits taste truly vile — at least to humans.

Birds however find them tasty and Cardinals and other fruit and seed eaters frequent the trees. In the case of our Cardinals these berries are vital to successful reproduction since the red pigment in the fruits are used by the birds to maintain their red coloration (Cardinals lacking red pigment in their diet turn brown) and hence their success in attracting mates.

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