Symphoricarpos orbiculatus Symphony Rock

The Symphoricarpos 'Symphony Rock' is a variety of snowberry that is distinguished by its long flowering and particularly durable white fruiting. Quite discreet in spring, heavily visited by bees in summer, this deciduous bush is adorned with clusters of small white berries from late summer, a decorative fruiting that persists on the branches until winter. Comfortable in both sun and shade, adaptable in a wide range of soils, low-maintenance, useful for small wildlife, it makes an excellent free hedge or margin plant for a wooded garden.

The Symphoricarpos orbiculatus Symphony Rock is a recent Dutch horticultural selection. It is part of a series of snowberries selected for their ease of maintenance, resistance to fungal diseases, and long-lasting flowering. The species is native to the eastern and central United States as well as central Canada and northeastern Mexico. The plant thrives in soils close to neutrality (slightly acidic to slightly alkaline), whether they are clayey and very moist or, on the contrary, quite dry in summer. Snowberries belong to the caprifoliaceae family, just like honeysuckles.

The Symphoricarpos 'Symphony Rock' is a shrub with a very bushy, upright but flexible, dense habit, capable of propagating by spontaneous layering, with branches rooting at the nodes when they come into contact with the ground. Its growth is moderately fast, and the plant will reach a height of about 90 cm (35in) with a width of 90 cm (35in) to 1 m (3ft) at maturity. The foliage is late deciduous, often turning purplish violet in autumn before falling. It consists of small oval-rounded leaves, dark green on the upper surface but lighter green on the lower surface. Flowering occurs from late July to September. It takes the form of numerous small funnel-shaped flowers appearing in the axils of the leaves, whitish green tinged with pink. After pollination by insects, they give way to numerous small berries measuring 6 mm (<1in) in diameter, pearly white when ripe, very decorative and sought after by some birds.

Snowberries are known for their robustness and beautiful winter fruiting. This one will be appreciated for its easy cultivation, rustic character, and long-lasting and brightly colored fruiting. It blends easily into a free hedge or a large shrub bed without pretension, in a garden that leaves room for nature. Many other deciduous or evergreen shrubs, with flowers or berries, will accompany it: spireas, dogwoods, viburnums, shrubby honeysuckles, cotoneasters, botanical roses, euonymus, ornamental cherries and apples, hawthorns, or Berberis!