Scientific Name:               Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
Common Name(s):         Coralberry, Indian Currant, Buckbush, Devil’s Shoelaces

©Janice Lynn, Krzysztof Ziarnek, Homer Edward Prince, Lee R. DeHaan

Identification:

Coralberry is a shrub in the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceous) that exhibits beautiful coral-colored berries into the winter. This deciduous shrub ranges from 2 to 4 feet tall, with several main stems that form tall arching branches. The young branches grow in the spring and are spindly, brownish-green with sporadic hairs throughout. The shrubs have exfoliating bark on the mature branches. The leaves grow around the stem opposite from one another and are simple, oval to elliptical, and grow 2 inches long and 1.25 inches wide. Leaves have pinnate venation and smooth margins. The leaf’s upper surface is green, with light green and hairy undersides. Flowers mature simultaneously through the shrub and grow on the leaf axil of the new branches and form dense, evenly spaced groups. The flowers are small, ¼ inch, and bell-shaped with five-lobed petals that are green to pink in color. Fruits mature in late fall and are round, pink/red berries that are ¼ inch in diameter. They form berry-like drupes throughout the shrub. The fruit persists into the winter.

 

Similar Species:

Coralberry may be confused with beautyberry. The difference is that the fruit on Beautyberry is larger and purple. The flowers on Beautyberry are small and tubular, while the flowers of coralberry are bell-shaped. Both are great additions to a garden to add winter color since they both hold their berries throughout the winter.

 

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Range:

Coralberry primarily occurs in the northwestern half of Arkansas in the interior highlands.  Coralberry occurs in most of the midwestern and eastern states. Utah is the only western state in which coralberry is found.

 

Ecology:

The berries on coralberry are not edible because they contain a high concentration of saponin, which can be toxic at high volumes. The high concentrations of this chemical give the berries a bitter and inedible taste. Interestingly, saponin is highly toxic to fish and was used historically by Native Americans to capture fish. They would crush large amounts of the berries and soak them in lakes or streams; the stunned or dead fish were then harvested. Indigenous People in South America still use this method today.

Coralberry grows in moist but well-drained soils and partial light. It can be found in dry woodland openings, forest borders in partial to full sun, and loamy to sandy soils.  Once established, it produces runners from the base of the main stem that grows horizontally. Coralberry is excellent for naturalizing a woodland understudy or for erosion control because it readily forms colonies once established.

Coralberry colonies are used by near-ground nesting birds and by small mammals for cover. The berries are excellent winter food for birds, including bobwhite quail and robins. Deer may eat the leaves, so it is not a deer-resistant shrub. Various caterpillars also feed on the leaves, such as the snowberry clearwing moth (Hemaris diffinis), hummingbird clearwing moth (Hemaris thysbe), and sulfer moth (Hesperumia sulphiraria). The flowers attract pollinators, which are a great addition to any pollinator or forest line garden.

 

Special Notes:

Coralberry is shallow-rooted and can be managed as a single shrub with frequent pruning of runners. The berries persist into the spring, so they can add color to your garden in the winter. Since it is a suckering plant, you can cut the branches in the spring, allowing new growth and a thicker bush. If you want it to fill areas along your forest line, allow it to grow unpruned. It is an excellent plant for attracting quail to your property or rejuvenating a landscape into a native oasis for birds and other wildlife.