Red berries on holly ...

[whitbybabe]

Just seen red berries on holly . Does that mean we are in for a bad winter ?

[johnk]

Holly always has red berries on the female this time of year.

[dzug2]

No, it means we've had the right sort of summer to suit the formation of holly berries

[puternut]

An 'old wives tale' is if there are a lot of berries we are in for a bad winter.

I do not know what contitutes a few or what is a lot though.

As reported they should have berries this time of year.

[razza]

Certainly is an old wives tale.I saw a documentary several years ago and the principle reason any tree or shrub has a lot of berries,is that the tree or shrub thinks its dying and its the trees way of reproducing.

[vivandorron]

As dzug2 has indicated. Plants, shrubs etc. do not forecast the future, but they do give an indication of the past conditions which prevailed.

Ron