Symphoricarpos Doorenbosii Mother of Pearl

Symphoricarpos Doorenbosii Mother of Pearl, more commonly known as Mother of Pearl Snowberry, is a stunning compact shrub, treasured mainly for its unusual pink berries. Extraordinarily tough, this petite variety adds colour and texture to the garden during autumn and winter, the two seasons when there is usually less interest to be found.

The leaves of this deciduous, thicket-forming shrub are ovate and dark green, and beautifully offset both the fruits and the blossoms. In the summer, racemes of pale pink to white flowers appear, giving way to berries in autumn. Although the blossoms of Mother of Pearl Snowberry are not the most eye-catching feature of this plant, they do attract bees and other pollinators. Maturing in the period when most other plants go into a dormant phase, the pink flushed berries stay on the arching stems of this shrub well into the winter.

Versatile and adaptable, Symphoricarpos Doorenbosii Mother of Pearl will thrive in any moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil, including chalk and clay. When it comes to choosing a location for planting, this compact shrub will tolerate both full sun and partial shade, and thrive in both exposed and sheltered spots.

Fully hardy in the United Kingdom, Symphoricarpos Doorenbosii Mother of Pearl can survive in areas with severe winters. Thriving even when the temperatures drop to -15 degrees, this deciduous shrub won’t need sheltering from frost.

Quite easy to grow and care for, Mother of Pearl Snowberry requires no pruning to stay tidy, and it’s not affected by most pests and diseases. With a moderate growth rate, this cultivar stays compact even when fully mature, with its maximum size being around 3 metres high and across.

Tough and beautiful at the same time, Mother of Pearl Snowberry will be the centre of the attention in any winter garden. Mostly grown in mixed shrub borders, this peculiar cultivar can also be used for under planting trees, as it tolerates dappled shade. Planted en masse, Symphoricarpos Doorenbosii Mother of Pearl can be grown as a low-growing hedge, lush and green during the spring and summer, and laden with pink berries in the autumn.

Looking for more shrubs that have showy fruits? Take a look at purple berried Callicarpa Bodinieri Profusion or white berried Symphoricarpos Doorenbosii White Hedge.