Symphorycarpos chenaultii Fiesta Berry

Symphoricarpos chenaultii 'Fiesta Berry' is a recent Dutch variety of Chenault's Snowberry, easily identifiable by its variegated foliage. The compact and bushy, shrub has a bright appearance that truly shines in the shaded areas it favours. Its relatively insignificant flowering gives way to small, decorative purple-red berries in autumn. Easy to cultivate in most ordinary soils, it thrives in both sun and shade, making it a virtually maintenance-free plant.

Snowberry is a member of the Caprifoliaceae family, like Honeysuckles (Lonicera) or Weigela. The genus Symphoricarpos, named by the famous French agronomist Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau, comprises 15 species, all native to North America, except for one from China, named Symphoricarpos sinensis. It was an Orléans nurseryman, Chenault, who, by crossing the species S. orbiculatus and S. microphyllus around 1910, created a new hybrid, named S. x chenaultii. The bush forms a shrub 1.50 to 2 m tall, with supple and abundant branches, and small ovate leaves (1 to 2 cm).
'Fiesta Berry' is a horticultural variety obtained in the Netherlands by Ronny Antonissen and won a silver medal in 2022 at the professional nursery fair GrootGroenPlus during its market launch. It is the first variegated cultivar of Chenault's Snowberry. The shrub has a bushy habit, as wide as it is tall, with somewhat unruly branches that extend in all directions, giving it a slightly wild appearance. Of relatively rapid growth, it reaches about 1 m in all directions. The slender branches sometimes take on pinkish or mahogany brown tones, which beautifully complement the variegation of the leaves. Small, ovate, and oppositely arranged two by two on the branches, the lovely medium to dark green leaves are adorned with an irregular cream-white margin that creates a striking contrast. This variegated bush does well in full sun, unlike many others (the variegation, which corresponds to a lack of chlorophyll, makes the leaves sensitive), and also thrives very well in partial shade, even in full shade. In this situation, it is particularly valuable, as it brings light to somewhat dark areas of the garden. The flowering in late spring or early summer is discreet and relatively insignificant. It makes up for this by producing small ornamental purple-red berries from September to November, sometimes longer. This fruiting creates a superb contrast with the variegated foliage before it eventually falls to the ground as the Snowberry is deciduous.

Easy plants par excellence, Snowberries are favoured by beginners because they are decorative, require little maintenance and demonstrate great hardiness. 'Fiesta Berry' adds extra appeal with its stunning variegation that will bring brightness to a shaded bed. Plant it at the foot of a Viburnum tinus 'Purpureum', a Laurustinus whose young purple and bronze shoots in spring will create a very interesting colour combination, while its dark green foliage later on will perfectly highlight your Snowberry. Its white flowering in late winter is also attractive at a time still lacking in flowers. For an even stronger contrast, pair it with Physocarpus opulifolius 'Black Light', a small bushy shrub with almost black purple foliage, which in June-July is adorned with corymbs of small white flowers. To cover the ground in the foreground, choose from the range of Heucheras that will delight you with their colourful foliage as well as their graceful and airy flowerings.