Symphorycarpos doorenbosii Magic Berry

Symphorine or Symphoricarpos 'Magic Berry' is a small deciduous bush that is easy to grow and very fruitful, which will be appreciated at the end of the season for its abundant and unique fruiting, almost multicoloured, which often persists on the branches until the heart of winter. A discreet pink spring flowering is followed by a profusion of small round berries, coloured red, violet, pink and even white-pink depending on the sides. 'Magic Berry' finds its place in a small informal hedge, in a large bed of plants, or even on a rockery, on a slope. This symphorine can also be displayed in a large pot on the terrace to be admired, animated by the incessant ballet of birds, warm behind a window.

Symphoricarpos x doorenbosii is a plant of the Caprifoliaceae family resulting from the crossbreeding between Symphoricarpos albus var.laevigatus, native to the eastern Rocky Mountains in the U.S.A, and S.chenaultii, a hybrid of horticultural origin.

It is a deciduous bush with sucker roots, fast-growing. Reaching about 1.20m (3ft 11in) in height at maturity, it spreads laterally without theoretical limit. Its habit is generally rounded, dense and compact, supported by upright, well-branched stems that arch over time. The foliage, deciduous, is composed of small ovate leaves measuring 2 to 4cm (0.8 to 1.6in) long. Dark green on the top, they are lighter on the underside and turn yellow before falling. The flowering, discreet to human eyes, attracts pollinators. It takes place in May-June, in the axil of the leaves, in the form of clusters of small pink bells. After pollination, they give way from August to small round and spongy fruits measuring 1.5 to 2cm (0.6 to 0.8in) in diameter tinged with red on the side exposed to the sun, but light pink, or even white slightly shaded with pink on the shaded areas of the fruit. These berries, which are the distinctive feature of the bush, often persist until December. Inedible for humans, they are, however, appreciated by birds and game.

This 'Magic Berry' symphorine is a resistant and extremely hardy bush, capable of adapting to many growing conditions, and to all our regions, including the harshness of the Mediterranean summer when planted in the shade. It easily integrates into an informal 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, Viburnums, lilacs, shrubby honeysuckles, Cotoneasters, Elaeagnus, botanical roses, Euonymus, ornamental cherries and apples, hawthorns, Berberis... You can even grow the 'Magic Berry' symphorine in a pot on your terrace. Its fruit-laden branches can also be used to make beautiful autumn bouquets.