Snowberry

Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus laevigatus)

Size: 4′ tall and 3′ spread

Flowering: June

Fruiting: mid-late August

Birds: late-fall and early winter migrants including grouse, kingbirds, flycatchers, towhees, and purple finches

Snowberry is closely related to Indian currant, or coralberry, but produces white fruits rather than red. The fruit is generally not held into winter, and is not as sought after by birds that is coralberry. Nonetheless, with its white fruits and preference to dry habitats can help add to the diversity of what is offered in your yard. Snowberry can tolerate full sun to full shade, and will grow in sandy soils as well as be able to withstand seasonal flooding.

Coralberry

Coralberry: Symphoricarpos orbiculatus

Size: 5′ tall and 4′ spread

Flowering: early-June

Fruiting: late-August

Birds: typically ground-feeding birds in fall migration such as sparrows, carbird, thrashers, and warblers,

Commonly known as Coralberry, Indiancurrant or Buckbrush is a full sun/part shade loving plant that reaches 5′ tall/wide. The flowers of Coralberry may be seen in early July.  They are small, and appear in clusters along the stem, just as you would expect by looking at the way the fruit is arranged. Probably more important than the food value of its fruit, Coralberry serves as good habitat for wildlife.  The knee-high thickets provide nesting and escape cover for small mammals and birds.  In addition, the numerous stems serve as a structure that collects detritus, which attracts insects and other small invertebrates, which in turn provide food for larger creatures such as ground-feeding birds.  Wandering flocks of winter sparrows will often spend considerable time foraging in a Coralberry thicket. Once established, Coralberry doesn’t need seeds to reproduce itself.  It sends out lateral stems up to 4 feet long, which then root and grow into a new cluster.  It is these runners that snag your shoe and trip you when you try to walk through a Coralberry thicket.