In article ,
(Chris Hogg) wrote:

I think the berries
develop slowly over the winter months, but there's only ever a few of
them, nothing like the abundance of flowers, so easy to miss.

According to PFAF:

``Fertilization. Two possible problems here. Firstly, it is possible
that there are insufficient pollinating insects around in late autumn to
effect fertilization. I tend to disregard this possibility because I
have seen fruits formed without the flower even opening, suggesting some
sort of self-fertilization. Also, one of the hedges that I monitor is in
such a position (in the middle of 6 lanes of constantly congested
roadway) that it discourages insect fertilization - yet this hedge
always produces a superb crop of fruit. The second reason for lack of
fertilization could be due to the fact that this plant is a garden
hybrid and that cross-pollination is required to effect fertilization.
Whilst this does seem to be a possibility with some of the plants that I
have been observing, it is by no means a general rule. I have often seen
isolated plants with very good yields of fruit. At the present I am
recommending growing the very ornamental variegated cultivar GILT EDGE
together with the closely related E. pungens VARIEGATA alongside E. x
ebbingei since this combination has led to very good yields in a couple
of sites.''

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com