Coralberry Symphoricarpos Orbiculatus in the Shade

Identification

• Native to the eastern United States and Mexico, coralberry is hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 7. It is a deciduous shrub that grows wild in many parts of the U.S., from Texas to Florida and Colorado to New England, typically appearing in open woods or fields. Red, pink or purple berries persist on the bush through the winter and into the following spring, when new lime-green growth creates stunning visual contrast. It also goes by the names Indian current, snapberry, buckleberry and wolf berry, among others.

Light Requirements

• Coralberry will grow in both sun and shade, though it prefers shade, such as that provided by the understory of a woodland or stand of trees. It is suited to a wide range of different planting environments, such as fully sunlit meadow conditions or the deep or semi-shade of forest edges. Cultivars like “Blade of Sun,” hardy to USDA zones 4 through 9, may have more deeply colored foliage when grow in the shade: in sunlight it is chartreuse yellow, but in shade a lime green.

Culture

• Coralberry grows in a wide range of soil types and is not picky as long as soils are well-drained. It will grow well in both neutral and alkaline soil pHs, and although it likes a medium amount of water, is very tolerant of heat. It suckers freely and will form thickets if left unpruned, but is also very tolerant of trimming. You can leave it up year-round, where it will eventually reach a height between 2 and 6 feet, or cut it to the ground each winter to produce thicker, bushier growth as a ground cover.

Garden Uses

• Coralberry can be used as both hedge and screen, or as a specimen plant for its flowers, berries and lime-green spring growth. You can also plant it in a woodland setting where it will naturalize, or in native plant gardens in many parts of the United States. Because coralberry has such an extensive root system and willingly forms thickets, it can be used to stabilize soil on slopes or in other areas susceptible to erosion.