By the end of autumn, hedgerows and woodlands are full of shrubs and trees bearing berries. They are a very important food source for all kinds of wildlife preparing for the winter months. The botanical definition of a berry is a simple fruit produced from a single ovary. True berries include currants, elderberries and honeysuckle fruit. However the word berry is today used for any small fruit - for example blackberries are in fact aggregate fruit made from multiple ovaries from a single flower.

Many animals use the glut of berries to put on weight in autumn ready for the lean months of winter. For example dormice make the most of fruits such as blackberries and sloes at this time of year. In summer they generally weigh less than 20g but just before hibernation they can weigh over 30g. Grey squirrels, when readying their winter food caches, identify the more perishable seeds and berries whilst foraging and eat these whilst storing the less perishable items such as nuts. Badgers have a highly varied diet throughout the year and you can easily identify what they have been eating from faeces. At this time of year it is not unusual to find badger droppings packed full of pips and seeds.

Our wild birds and fruit-bearing plants have an intricate relationship, with both relying on one another for their survival. Berries are an important food source for birds as temperatures drop as the ground can become too hard to find worms and insects numbers decrease considerably. Birds do not hibernate in winter like some small British mammals such as bats and dormice, and so must have a food supply throughout winter. Some species, such as thrushes and blackbirds, have a winter diet that is almost entirely berries.

But what do the plants get from all these animals feasting on their fruits? Producing tasty energy-rich fruits around their seeds is a clever way to encourage animals to disperse their seeds. In most cases the fruit and pith is digested by the bird or mammal but the seed travels through the digestive tract undamaged. The seed is then passed out often far from the parent tree. It has been shown that juniper seeds actually germinate better if they have passed through a bird's stomach. Berries are typically highly visible to help attract birds: evergreens often have red berries that show up well against green foliage and deciduous plants often have black fruits, noticeable against brown or yellow leaves.

Planting fruit-bearing trees is a good way to enjoy wildlife in your garden in autumn and winter. Try native species such as rowan, holly, dog rose, elder, hawthorn, honeysuckle and ivy. You can also provide berries in your garden instantly by using ready-made berry and fruit cakes.