Snow berry is a deciduous shrub of the honeysuckle family. Its habitat is in North America, and one species grows in China. The scientific name is symphoricarpos, and the people call it snow or wolf berry. The plant is used for landscaping parks. Its distinctive feature is large white berries collected in a dense bunch. They ripen in the fall and persist throughout the winter. Snow-berry is poisonous, therefore it is impossible to eat it, but pheasants, waxwings, hazel grouse and other birds in the winter eat berries without any harm to health.
Botanical characteristics
Snow-berry is a perennial deciduous shrub with a height of 20-300 cm. Thin flexible shoots first grow directly, and tend to land over the years, forming a sprawling bush. The stems are covered with smooth gray-brown bark. They are highly branched and form dense thickets.
Opposite petioles of oval or ovoid form grow on branches. They have solid or slightly notched edges. The length of the sheet is 1.5-6 cm. The surface of the bare sheet is green, and the back has a bluish tint.
In July-August, racemose inflorescences grow on young branches, which are hidden in the axils of the leaves along the entire length of the stem. Small pinkish flowers are tightly pressed together. After pollination, closely spaced rounded berries with a diameter of about 1 cm also appear. They are covered with smooth shiny skin of a white, black or pinkish hue. Inside the juicy pulp there are 1-3 oval seeds.
Types of Snowman
Plants are not very diverse; in total, 15 species are registered in the genus of the snow-berry. Let's consider some of them:
Snow White. The variety is most prevalent in culture and has been used in landscape design since the beginning of the 19th century. Shrub up to 1.5 m high, thanks to flexible branches, forms a spherical crown. The stems are covered with ovoid simple leaves up to 6 cm long. In July, racemose inflorescences with small pink flowers appear. They bloom very abundantly and exude a honey aroma, attracting insects. Flowering continues for a long time, therefore, at the same time, unblown buds and first berries are present on the bush. Bunches of rounded white fruits persist throughout the winter, resembling lumps of snow.
Snow-rose pink (ordinary, rounded). A tall shrub with thin flexible shoots is covered with small dark green leaves. In their sinuses, small brushes of pink flowers bloom closer to August. After pollination, spherical large berries ripen in purple-red or coral color ripen. In late autumn, bare branches with such berries give the garden a special charm. Plants are less resistant to frost and prefer the southern regions.
Snowman Chenot. The hybrid of the previous two species is a low shrub with pink berries. The plant easily tolerates severe frosts, and thin, flexible stems are covered with egg-shaped pointed leaves of dark green color. A very popular variety of such a snowman is Hancock. It grows to 1 m in height, but sprawling branches form pillows up to 1.5 m in diameter. The shoots are densely covered with small green leaves and snow-white berries.
Snowman Dorenboza. The species is named after the Dutch breeder and combines several decorative varieties that are most common in culture today. Here is some of them:
- Snow Berry Magic Berry - on flexible shoots among miniature bright green leaves there are clusters of large raspberry berries;
- Amethyst - a shrub up to 1.5 m high is covered with dark green oval leaves and sets white-pink rounded fruits;
- Mother of pearl - bushes with dark green foliage dotted with large white berries with a pink barrel;
- White Hedge - thin upright branches with dark green foliage covered with a scattering of small white berries.
Breeding methods
The snowman reproduces without difficulty. To do this, use the methods of cuttings, dividing the bush, layering, separation of root shoots and sowing seeds.
With seed propagation, you will have to make more efforts. It is necessary to thoroughly clean the seeds from the pulp and dry them. Crops are made in autumn in boxes with garden soil. Small seeds are conveniently mixed with sand, then it will become easier to distribute them on the surface. The container is covered with a film and put in a cold greenhouse. The soil must be sprayed regularly from the spray gun. In spring, shoots appear, they are dived immediately into the open ground.
In total, a lot of root processes are formed near the bush during the season. This is typical for any kind of snowman. In the spring, the processes are transplanted. So it is possible not only to multiply, but also to thin out the thickets. Even adult bushes tolerate transplanting easily.
To thin out the thickets, division of the bush is also regularly carried out. In late autumn or early spring, before buds open, large bushes are dug up and divided into parts, cutting the rhizome. Each dividend is treated with crushed ash and immediately planted in a fresh landing hole.
To root layering, at the end of March, a flexible branch is bent to the ground and fixed with a slingshot. Sprinkle the shoot from above with soil, but leave the top free. Root layers will take root before the fall. It can be cut off by secateurs and put in a new place.
When grafting, green and lignified shoots with a length of 10-15 (20) cm are used. Young stems are cut at the end of flowering and rooted in a flower pot. By the end of summer, a strong seedling can be planted in open ground. Lignified cuttings are cut in the fall and stored in the basement until spring. In March-April, they are planted, like green cuttings, in pots with garden soil, and after rooting they are transferred to the garden.
Planting and plant care
Snowman can grow equally well in the open sun and in a shaded place. It is planted in moist clay or light sandy soil. In addition, on the slopes and in ravines, the roots of the plants strengthen the soil and prevent landslides. To get a solid green hedge, snow-breeders are planted in a trench with a distance of 20-25 cm. Single bushes need 1.2-1.5 m of free space.
They dig a planting hole 60-65 cm deep. Do this in advance so that the soil settles. Drainage material (sand, gravel) is poured at the bottom. Additionally, dolomite flour, peat, humus or compost are introduced into the ground. After planting, the plants are watered with superphosphate. The root neck is placed slightly above the surface so that after subsidence of the soil it is flush with the ground.
The first days of seedlings need to be watered daily, in the future regular watering is not so important. With periodic precipitation, you can do without them at all. Only in severe drought, about two buckets of water are poured under a bush. The soil near the plant is mulched with peat to a height of 5 cm. It is also necessary to regularly weed the soil and remove weeds.
Often fertilize bushes is not necessary. It is enough to dig the earth in spring with compost and superphosphate. You can water the plants with a solution of potassium salt.
In order for the snowman to have a neat appearance, pruning is necessary regularly. Fortunately, plants tolerate it well. In early spring, before buds open, sanitation is carried out, broken and frozen stems, as well as dry and damaged branches, are removed. The growth is recommended to be shortened by a quarter. Old bushes aged 8-10 years need rejuvenation. Without it, the foliage is much smaller, and flowering becomes insignificant. To do this, in the spring the bushes are cut to a height of 40-60 cm. After trimming from the sleeping buds, strong, healthy branches will grow.
The plant can withstand frosts down to -34 ° C, so it does not need shelter. Decorative varieties are less resistant. They can be covered with leaves in autumn, and a tall snowdrift in winter. Even if part of the shoots freezes, it is enough to cut them in the spring. Young shoots quickly hide bald spots.
Pests and diseases rarely affect the snowman. Its juice repels most insects. The plant occasionally can suffer from fungal diseases that develop in the fruits, on leaves and stems. The reason for this is excessive watering, too thickets and dampness. Cope with unpleasant diseases helps treatment with a solution of calcined salt, Bordeaux liquid or laundry soap. You can also resort to the help of chemical fungicides.
Bushes in landscaping
Most often, a snowman planted in dense groups for zoning of the site. It makes an excellent low green hedge. During the flowering period, the bushes are abundantly covered with fragrant pink buds that attract bees. Therefore, the plant is a good honey plant. Single bushes look good in the middle of a green lawn. They can also serve as the background for a short undersized flower garden.
