Christmas Berry
Lycium carolinianum
Christmas Berry is naturally found in moist to wet soil near salt water bays in the Florida Keys to South Carolina. The half inch, bright red berries, which can cause vomiting, ripen in winter and are used by many species of birds and other wildlife. These follow the lilac flowers that occur most of the year, yet abundantly in late summer.
Plants loaded with berries can be found in Cedar Key, which is west of Gainesville, Florida. I have not found ones so full of red berries anywhere else. These berries are shaped like little Tomatoes and tiny Red Peppers.
This makes a nice accent bush or mass, growing up to six feet tall, with one inch narrow leaves and thorns that prevent trespassers. The soil must be fertile with organic matter and moist or the plant will die out. Full sun is best.
If you are looking for an evergreen shrub with masses of red or orange berries, this is a great choice. It can be trimmed by hand to keep a nice compact shape or just let it grow in its natural weeping form.
A mixture of Christmas Berry, Sea Oxeye Daisy, Spartina Grasses, Sea Purslane, Bitter Panicum, Seashore Dropseed and other marsh plants will make a beautiful planting that will tolerate salt water flooding.
Please do not allow children to eat the colorful fruit.
The IFAS link below misstates that the fruit are six inches long; they are one half inch long.