Symphoricarpos orbiculatus Symphony Rave

The Symphoricarpos 'Symphony Rave' is an interesting symphoricarpos for its floribundity and its pale pink to white-pink fruiting, which is particularly long-lasting. More compact than the species type, this bush easily finds its place in all gardens. Its summer flowering, highly visited by bees, gives way to clusters of small berries from the end of summer, a decorative fruiting that persists until winter on the branches. Comfortable in both sun and shade, adaptable in a wide range of soils, low maintenance, beneficial to small fauna, it constitutes an excellent low hedge or woodland garden plant.

The Symphoricarpos orbiculatus 'Symphony Rave' is a recent Dutch horticultural selection. It is part of a series of symphoricarpos selected for their low maintenance, resistance to fungal diseases and long-lasting flowering. The species type is native to the east and central USA, as well as central Canada and northeastern Mexico. The plant thrives in soils close to neutrality (slightly acidic to slightly calcareous), whether they are clayey and very wet or, on the contrary, quite dry in summer. Symphoricarpos belong to the caprifoliaceae family, just like honeysuckles.

The Symphoricarpos 'Symphony Rave' is a very bushy, erect but flexible, dense shrub, capable of spreading by spontaneous layering, with branches rooting at the nodes when they come into contact with the soil. Its growth rate is moderate, and the plant will reach a height of about 90 cm (35in) and a width of 90 cm (35in) to 1 m (3ft) at maturity. The foliage is deciduous, turning sometimes purple-violet in autumn before falling. It consists of small ovate-rounded leaves, dark green on the upper surface but lighter green on the lower surface. The flowering extends from late July to September. It takes the form of numerous small funnel-shaped flowers appearing in the axils of the leaves, whitish-green tinged with pink. After pollination by insects, they give way to numerous small berries measuring 6 mm (<1in) in diameter, whitish tinged with pink at maturity, very decorative and sought after by some birds.

Symphoricarpos are known for their robustness and beautiful winter fruiting. This one will be appreciated for its ease of cultivation, its rustic character, and its long-lasting and brightly colored fruiting. It easily integrates into a free hedge or a large shrub bed without pretension, in a garden that leaves room for nature. Many other deciduous or evergreen shrubs, with flowers or berries, will accompany it: spireas, dogwoods, viburnums, shrubby honeysuckles, cotoneasters, botanical roses, euonymus, ornamental cherries and apples, hawthorns, Berberis etc.