When planning plants for the garden, I basically think of three things: form, origins and benefit to wildlife. Coralberry, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, seems to fit all three. I've seen gorgeous stands of this arching plant growing at the Wildflower Center, and seen relatives of our coralberry (often snowberries) growing all over the U.S. in parks and wildspaces. It's pretty in summer and in winter when it is full of berries. It also spreads a lot and feeds the birds.
In our own garden, coralberry has not yet lived up to snuff. It has spread around a bit, but it doesn't form the dense lovely thickets that I was hoping for. Nor does it fruit all that much. However, I was happy to find that a small area of coralberry in the far back corner has produced abundant fuchsia berries this year. (It's something I discovered while on my knees weeding.)
I think coralberry probably likes more moisture than I'm likely ever to give it, but perhaps if we have a nice wet year someday, it'll do its thing.
3 comments:
Your coralberry is lovely. I've never had much luck either. Something always eats it to its skeleton form in August and doesn't leaf out again until spring. I've only had a few berries, although they were very nice. Something ate them quickly, which is, of course, what I wanted.
I totally share the coralberry love....
I have a spot with a handful of 15 year old coralberry bushes puttering along. They haven't really taken off but they don't die either and every winter they berry up, at least until the birds or other marauders feast the branches clean. I love the colors but figure after this long they are as well "established" as they'll ever be.
Coralberry... new to me, but I love the color.
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