Recomended

Snowberry Coralberry Wolfberry

Symphoricarpos

Close relatives of the Lonicera - Honeysuckle that are native to North America and are grown mostly for their decorative berries. Propagation is from seed ( nicked then soaked in water for 12 hours ) or for cultivars - a) rooted suckers during autumn b) softwood cuttings taken in summer.

* photo of unknown internet source


Symphoricarpos albus ( Eastern Snowberry )
A fast growing, medium size but wide-spreading, suckering, wiry-stemmed shrub that is native to North America, from British Columbia to Quebec and Nova Scotia; south to Colorado to Minnesota to Virginia. It has also naturalized in the British Isles.
Some records include: 10 years - 8 x 8 feet; largest on record - 10 x 13 feet, however one clone was found to be over 660 feet wide in Minnesota.
The oppositely arranged, blunt tipped leaves are up to 4 inches in length. The foliage is blue-green with no fall color.
The small pink flowers borne in clusters during spring, are followed by showy persistent berries, up to 0.5 inches across, that ripen to pure white.
The berries often persists through most of the winter.
Hardy zones 2 to 7 on well drained soil in sun or shade, thriving in climates with average yearly precip. over 25 inches.
Very tolerant of drought, clay and alkaline soil.

* photos taken on Aug 4 2013 in Bayfield, Ontario


var laevigatus
Also called Symphoricarpos rivularis; it is native to western North America ( Alaska to Wyoming; south to California ) and is more upright forming dense thickets. Some records include: largest on record - 13 x 20 ( rarely over 6 ) feet. It also fruits more profusely, with glossy white berries persisting through the winter.

Symphoricarpos x chenaultii ( Chenault Coralberry )
A fast growing, spreading, medium size deciduous shrub that is the hybrid between Symphoricarpos microphyllus & S. orbiculatus. Some records include: 10 years - 10 x 13 ( usually half that ) feet; largest on record - 10 x 13 feet.
The oppositely arranged, blunt tipped leaves are up to 1.3 inches in length.
The foliage is deep green above, slightly downy, blue-white beneath.
The foliage colors well in autumn.
The pink flowers are borne in small spikes during spring.
They are followed by long persisting berries that are white and spotted with red.
The berries ripen during autumn but persist well into winter.
The young stems are downy.
Hardy zones 2 to 8 in full sun to deep shade;.

Blade of Sun

* photo taken on July 10 2013 in Howard Co., MD


Elegance
Foliage is reddish at first.

Hancock
Low spreading, reaching a up to 2 x 10 feet in 10 years and an eventual maximum size of 3 x 13 feet, making it an excellent groundcover choice. It rarely exceeds 2 feet in height.
The foliage is blue-green.

Symphoricarpos x doorenbosii ( Doorenbos Coralberry )
A vigorous medium size deciduous shrub that is the hybrid between Symphoricarpos albus laevigatus & S. x chenaultii.
Some records include: largest on record - 6.5 x 13 ( rarely over 5 ) feet.
The oppositely arranged, blunt tipped leaves are up to 1.7 inches in length.
The foliage is deep green.
The bell-shaped pink to white flowers are borne in clusters during spring.
They are followed with white berries that are pink flushed if exposed to sun.
The berries ripen during late summer.
The stems are downy.
Hardy zones 3 to 7 in full sun to partial shade.

Amethyst
Abundant purplish-pink fruit borne during late summer.

Magic Berry
Compact in habit, reaching up to 4 x 5 feet in 10 years, eventually to 6.5 x 8 feet with profuse deep pink berries. The foliage is blue-green..

Marleen
Reaches up to 51 inches x 2.5 feet in 5 years.
Foliage is blue-green and the flowers are pink.
Pinkish-white berries follow.

Mother of Pearl
Vigorous, dense and arching in habit ( reaching up to 6.5 x 6.5 feet in 10 years ) with large berries that are white and mottled in pink, borne during autumn.
The very attractive small pink flowers are borne during early summer.

White Hedge
Stiff and upright in habit with very profuse berries that are small and white.
Some records include: 10 years - 5 x 3.3 feet; largest on record - 8 x 6.5 feet.

Symphoricarpos occidentalis ( Wolfberry )
A low but spreading to invasive shrub native to the western U.S and Canada.
Some records include: largest on record - 6 x 6 feet
The oppositely arranged, blunt tipped, oblong leaves, up to 2 inches in length, are blue-green. The flowers are pale pink and are followed by greenish-white berries, up to 0.4 inches, that persist into winter.
Hardy zones 2 to 7. Drought and shade tolerant.

* photo of unknown internet source


Symphoricarpos orbiculatus ( Coralberry )
A fast growing, dense, bushy, medium size shrub native to the eastern U.S. ( from South Dakota to New Jersey; south to Mexico, Texas to Georgia )
Some records include: 10 years - 6.5 x 10 feet; largest on record - 8 x 13 feet.
The oppositely arranged, blunt tipped, oval leaves are up to 2.5 inches in length.
The foliage is downy deep green above, gray beneath, often turning red during late autumn. The white flowers are borne throughout summer and are followed by berries, up to 0.25 inches across, that are dull white, later turning to deep red persisting into January. Because the age of the berries vary, you may have many different shades of color on the same plant.
Hardy zones 2 to 8. Berry production is best where summers are hot.
Tolerant of drought, coastal conditions and urban pollution. It may be prone to mildew on some sites.

* photo taken by Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA SCS. 1991. Southern wetland flora


Variegatus
A fast growing, bushy, suckering shrub reaching a maximum size of 8 x 13 feet.
The foliage is green with yellow margins.

Symphoricarpos oreophilus ( Mountain Snowberry )
A small shrub native to the southwestern U.S.
Some records include: largest on record - 5 feet
The oppositely arranged, blunt tipped leaves, up to 2 inches in length, are gray-green.
The flowers are rose-pink, they are followed by white berries.
Hardy zones 4 to 8