Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Size Class: 3-6 ft. , 1-3 ft.
Size Notes: less than 2
Leaf Color: Green
Fruit Length: 1/8 inch
Fruit Color: purple, pinkish purple, coral pink

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Green
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , IA , KS , KY , LA , MD , MA , MI , MN , MS , MO , NE , NJ , NY , NC , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VT , VA , WV , WI , DC
Native Distribution: Eastern US from New York south to eastern Texas, west to South Dakota and Colorado.
Native Habitat: Shaded woods, thickets, open woodlands, streambanks, river banks. Common in Post Oak woodlands (Quercus stellata).
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(I)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low , Medium
Light Requirement: Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Dry
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Well-drained sand, loam, or clay.
Texas comments: Coralberry is a small, mound-shaped, deciduous shrub with shredding bark on older wood and brown to purplish branchlets. Its smooth, dull green leaves are opposite and roughly oval. The greenish-white flower clusters are not as showy as the clusters of coral-pink to purple berries which remain on the plant through winter.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: A low-growing forest shrub with attractive winter berries and persistent, bright green foliage for use in eastern North America.
Use Wildlife: Songbirds, ground birds, small mammals, and browsers use this plant for food, cover, and nesting sites.
Interesting Foliage: yes
Attracts: Birds
Deer Resistant: Moderately

Propagation

Propagation Material: Semi-hardwood Cuttings
Description: Semi-hardwood cuttings from current growth.
Seed Collection: Fruits can be collected anytime during the fall and winter by stripping or flailing onto drop cloths. Seeds can be extracted by macerating the fruits in water.
Seed Treatment: Nutlets are difficult to germinate because of hard seed coats and immature embryos. Warm stratification for 3-4 months followed by cold for 4-6 months is necessary.
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: To keep it at a low height, cut it back to knee high every 5 to 10 years. If it gets too leggy, it can be cut back to the ground and it will come back bushier and with more berries the next year.

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PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (Coralberry) is a PlantWise native alternative for:

   Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
   Cotoneaster apiculatus (cranberry cotoneaster)
   Cotoneaster franchetii (orange cotoneaster)
   Cotoneaster lacteus (milkflower cotoneaster)
   Cotoneaster pannosus (silverleaf cotoneaster)

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Question: I planted a coralberry this past spring. It seemed to be doing well, but then I noticed some of its leaves were missing. Gradually, all the leaves disappeared, from the top of the plant down. It is about a foot high, and it took a few days--a couple of weeks, I think--for all the leaves to be gone. Someone suggested that deer were eating them, but that's not it: mine is the only coralberry plant for miles around, and no deer is coming to my neighborhood just to munch on a tiny coralberry bush. When all the leaves were gone, I started to pull the plant up, but didn't. All summer, it was there but bare. Last week, when it got a little cooler and we had some rain, the leaves started growing again. I was hopeful that it would come back. Now the leaves seem to be disappearing again. What is it? Parasol ants? Leafcutters? What do you suggest? I live in 78744, the Dove Springs area. I put some bone meal in the hole and a little mulch around the plant when I planted it. What's up--any ideas? Ken S.
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: I was planning on planting some columbines in a barrel and Turk's Cap and Coralberry in my yard, but hadn't counted on the extreme heat this early in the summer. Is it okay to plant these things as long as I am careful to keep them watered, or would it be a waste of my time?
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: I want to replace my two dozen azaleas this spring (I think they're unattractive once the flowers fall off). I like the multiseason characteristics of weigela (midnight wine, W&R), but want to go native. Can you suggest a native alternative to these compact oriental beauties?
click here to view the full question and answer

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Sibley Nature Center - Midland, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge - Wimberley, TX
Native Plant Society of Texas - Fredericksburg, TX

Bibliography

Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, S.
Native & Naturalized Woody Plants of Austin & the Hill Country (1981) Lynch, D.
* Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
* Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Symphoricarpos orbiculatus in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Symphoricarpos orbiculatus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Symphoricarpos orbiculatus