Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Black Alder

Brand:  Proven Winners

Description:

A compact and showy fall shrub known for its brilliant scarlet-red fruit; sheds leaves early in fall to reveal berries; spreads to form colonies; Mr. Poppins is recommended as pollinator; great in masses and particularly wet sites, needs acidic soil

Ornamental Features

Berry Poppins® Winterberry is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. It features an abundance of magnificent scarlet berries from mid fall to late winter. It has forest green deciduous foliage. The pointy leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Berry Poppins® Winterberry is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering

Berry Poppins® Winterberry is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Berry Poppins® Winterberry will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. This variety requires a different selection of the same species growing nearby in order to set fruit.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.