Coralberry (Symphoricarpos)
Coralberry (Symphoricarpos) is an easy-care shrub that is a showstopper in the fall but has much to offer in other seasons as well. It is a North American native shrub that is exceptionally hardy and can fill a number of roles in the landscape.
Landscape Roles
Coralberry is grown primarily for its supremely showy fall fruit display, but it offers other assets as well. The blue-green foliage is attractive all season. The plant is very adaptable and will tolerate less than ideal growing conditions, including dry sites and shaded sites. It slowly colonizes so is a good choice for slope, bank, or mass plantings. It can be used as a wildlife friendly hedge and dwarf selections can be used in foundation plantings.
Wildlife Value
The tiny pinkish-white bell-shaped flowers produced in mid-summer are extremely attractive to native pollinators. The splendid pink to coral colored fruit is a food source for native songbirds and the dense branching habit provides shelter for nesting and foraging birds.
Those Berries!
Of course, the berries are the major draw of this versatile plant. Depending on the variety, the abundant fruit clusters vary in color from bubblegum pink to rich coral. As the temperatures drop in autumn the color of the fruit intensifies. Fruit will remain on the plant into the winter months but is eventually eaten by birds. While the berries are a food source for birds, they are mildly toxic to humans. Flowers and fruit are set on new wood so pruning should only be done in late winter/early spring, before new growth begins.
Coralberry in a Nutshell
- Mature height: 3’ to 5’, depending on variety
- Mature spread: 3’ to 6’, depending on variety
- Growth form: Densely branching. Upright stems arch with age. Slowly colonizing habit.
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 3
- Flowers: Clusters of tiny pinkish-white pendant flowers. Very popular with pollinators.
- Fruit: Extremely showy clusters of pink to coral-colored berries in fall. Self-fertile but produces more fruit if another variety is planted nearby. Fruit is edible to birds but not to humans.
- Foliage Color: Dense bluish-green leaves.
- Light requirement: Full Sun to Shade
- Water Requirements: Tolerant of a range of soil conditions, including dry sites. Avoid overly wet sites.
- Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
- Maintenance: Prune heavily in late winter/early spring. Plant can be pruned to several inches tall.
- Especially valuable for:
- Exquisite fall fruit display
- Wildlife garden
- Floral bouquets (supremely decorative fruit)
- Mixed shrub borders
- Slope & bank plantings
- Foundation plantings
- Informal hedge
By Zannah Crowe
