Fall at Brucemore

Deb Engmark, Brucemore's head gardener, shared the following about a beautiful plant found at the historic estate in Cedar Rapids:

      The most commonly asked plant questions I receive this time of year while working the grounds at Brucemore refers to the Iowa native known as Indian current, also commonly called Coralberry and (less often) Buckbrush. 

   Symphoricarpos orbiculatus is native to the Eastern United States found naturally, most often, in under story woodland conditions.  The genus Symphoicarpos is derived from Greek word symph, which roughly means growing together, and karpos, a fruit, referring to the clusters of berries growing along the branches.

   Hardy in zones 2 through 7 this deciduous shrub grows 2 to 5 feet in height and 4 to 8 feet in width with a graceful arching habit. The soft pliable stems were used by Native Americans for basket weaving.

   It is very adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions in full sun to part shade. The unremarkable small pinkish flowers that bloom in midsummer produce the coral red berries that attract so much attention during October and into the winter months.  It is a beautiful sight in the landscape and a delightful addition to fall floral arrangements.

  A warning must also be mentioned about this lovely native. It forms suckers and runners near the base that readily produce new plants and creates thickets rather quickly. This makes it a great option for erosion control especially on slopes, but can also be viewed as invasive if not routinely maintained.

   Here on the Brucemore grounds we have quite a few different plantings of Coralberry.  It was on O. C. Simonds list of commonly used shrubs for residential designs and it is a native we don't need to spend a lot of time maintaining. In my opinion, Coralberry is worthy of consideration in a landscape or garden where native plantings, wildlife, and deer resistance is important.