Waxberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- sim-fo-ri-KAR-pos or-bik-EW-lah-tus
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Coralberry is a native dense suckering deciduous shrub in the Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle) family. Grows to 2 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide with graceful arching stems. It is commonly found in forests or natural areas of bottomland woods of eastern and central USA.
This easy to grow shrub in average well-drained soils of various types. Coralberry prefers full to partial sun, moist to dry conditions and loamy or rocky soil. While the leaves are an attractive bright green, the greenish white flowers are not showy. They are however followed by attractive pink-purple fruits. Coralberry is colonial and it needs more than one genetic strain to fruit. Propagate the plant through semi-hardwood cuttings. If spreading is not desired then remove the underground stems (rhizomes).
This is a great shrub for naturalized areas or an informal shrub border. Use this native it as a groundcover and plant it on a slope for erosion control. Its dense branching growth provides cover and the flowers and fruits provide food attracting a wide variety of wildlife. Its unique shredded bark provides winter interest in the landscape.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It has weedy tendencies. This plant is heavily browsed by deer.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Symphoricarpos
- Species:
- orbiculatus
- Family:
- Caprifoliaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southeastern and central U.S.A.
- Distribution:
- AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV
- Wildlife Value:
- Songbirds, ground birds, small mammals, and browsers like white tailed deer use this plant for food, cover, and nesting sites. Various moths use this as a host plant. Necatar from the flowers attract bees, wasps, and flies.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Heat, drought, and soil compaction tolerant.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ground Cover
- Native Plant
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Dense
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- White
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Winter
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Clusters of 1/4 inch long red-purple round berry-like drupes with two seeds appear in autumn and persist through the winter. Displays from September to December.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- Insignificant
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Spike
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The bell-shaped 1/4" flowers with a tubular corolla with 5 lobes appear in summer in clusters at leaf axils and in terminal spikes. Not particularly showy. Blooms from late spring to early summer.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 1-2 inches long and 1 to 1.25 inches across oval green leaves with rolled margins and rounded to broadly pointed tips. Undersurface is whitish with hairs. Petioles are 1/4 long, leaf venation is pinnate. Reddish fall color.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Surface/Attachment:
- Shaggy
- Shredding
- Bark Description:
- Lower branches have strips of brown loose shaggy bark
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Purple/Lavender
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Brown to red-purple branchlets covered with short hairs
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Slope/Bank
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Hedge
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Erosion
- Heat
- Problems:
- Weedy
