Symphoricarpos orbiculatus

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, also known as the Coralberry, is an extremely robust North American symphorine that grows spontaneously in oak undergrowth, thickets, and on riverbanks where it spreads in large colonies. It is in autumn and winter that this bush is noticed, with its branches covered in tightly clustered berries ranging from coral pink to purple pink. Rarely cultivated, this botanical species that grows even in shade is an excellent plant for informal hedges, hedgerows, or wooded gardens.

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus belongs to the caprifoliaceae family, just like honeysuckles. This species is native to the east and centre of the USA, as well as the centre of Canada and the northeast of Mexico. The plant thrives in soils close to neutral (slightly acidic to slightly chalky), whether they are clayey and very humid or, conversely, quite dry in summer.

It is a deciduous bush with a very bushy, upright but flexible, dense habit, capable of spreading through spontaneous layering, with branches rooting at the nodes when they come into contact with the ground. Its growth is moderately fast, reaching a height of about 1.80 m (6ft) and a width of 1.50 m (5ft) at maturity. The foliage is late deciduous, often turning purplish 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 takes place in the second half of summer, in August-September, in the form of small funnel-shaped, whitish-green, tinged pink flowers appearing in the axils of the leaves. After pollination by insects, they give way to numerous small berries, 6 mm (1in) in diameter, a deep violet-pink when ripe and very decorative.

Symphorines are known for their robustness and beautiful winter fruiting. This one will be appreciated for its ease of cultivation in shade, its rustic character, and its highly colourful fruiting. It easily integrates into an informal hedge or a large shrub border without pretension, in a wildlife garden. Many other deciduous or evergreen shrubs, with flowers or berries, will accompany it: spireas, dogwoods, viburnums, lilacs, shrubby honeysuckles, cotoneasters, elaeagnus, wild roses, euonymus, ornamental cherries and apples, hawthorns, Berberis...