Symphorycarpos doorenboosii ‘Kordes’ Amethyst - Arbre aux perles

The Symphoricarpos × doorenbosii Amethyst is a variety of snowberry remarkable for its dense clusters of bright pink to mauve-pink berries, more colourful than those of many selections. They form from late summer onwards and remain attached to the branches after leaf fall. Very hardy, accommodating regarding soil and capable of flowering in shade, this well-branched shrub also provides beautiful stems for autumn cut flower arrangements.

Snowberries belong to the Caprifoliaceae family, like honeysuckles and viburnums. They are deciduous shrubs: their branches persist in winter, but they lose their leaves in autumn. The Symphoricarpos × doorenbosii group was created in the Netherlands in the 1940s by horticulturist G. A. Doorenbos, from several North American snowberries, notably Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus, S. orbiculatus and S. × chenaultii. The plant sold under the name Amethyst bears the varietal denomination ‘Kordes’ and comes from a German selection. It was originally chosen for the production of stems intended for cut flowers. In 2013, the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers designated it cut flower of the year in the woody plant category. The shrub forms a large, dense bush of 1.20 to 1.50 m in all directions. Its young stems are initially upright, then they bend slightly under the weight of the fruit. Offshoots may appear around the stump. The small opposite leaves, oval to rounded, measure a few centimetres in length. Medium to dark green on the upper surface, paler on the reverse, they form a fairly fine foliage that showcases the fruiting well. In June and July, small bell-shaped flowers appear, white washed with pink, discreet but visited by pollinating insects. They are followed by the formation of round, fleshy fruit measuring around 1 cm in diameter. Gathered in dense clusters along the branches, they ripen in September in a raspberry pink tinged with lilac. These berries remain decorative until early winter, depending on the weather and the appetite of birds. These fruits are not edible. The plant withstands harsh winters (down to -29°C), urban pollution, wind and various soils. Its fruiting is, however, more generous in full sun or light shade, in soil that retains some moisture in summer.

In a loose hedge or a shrub border, give this snowberry enough space for its flexible branches to spread out. Alongside it, the variety ‘Mother of Pearl’, with much paler fruit, allows for a variation in colours. These two shrubs can be mixed with Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’, whose red wood becomes visible in winter, and Callicarpa ‘Profusion’, laden with purple fruit in autumn. In a more romantic garden, soft pink or white shrub roses and a few Japanese anemones will be good companions in moist soil. The berry-laden branches of Symphoricarpos are cut in autumn to fill fresh cut flower arrangements, with decorative dahlias, hydrangeas and chrysanthemums 'Nebelrose', for example.