Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Black Alder

Description:

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

Ornamental Features

Scarlett O'Hara 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 colour.

Landscape Attributes

Scarlett O'Hara Winterberry is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. 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 is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. 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

Scarlett O'Hara Winterberry is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Scarlett O'Hara Winterberry will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. 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.

This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.