Buckbrush, Indian Currant Latin: Symphoricarpos orbiculatus <img src="/yard-garden/images/plantoftheweek/Symphoricarpos-orbiculatus-.jpg" border="1" alt="Picture closeup of Buckbush red berry-like fruit." hspace="10" vspace="10" align="right" width="200" height="150"> The saying goes that to be an expert, you must be at least 100 miles from home. I suspect the same holds true for plants -- to be really appreciated by gardeners, plants must come from somewhere over the horizon, not be something you trip over every time you go for a walk in the woods. Buckbrush has always struck me as a useful landscape plant, but the only landscape I’ve ever seen it purposefully used in was in Germany. Buckbrush, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, belongs to the honeysuckle family and grows as a deciduous shrub mostly three to four feet tall. Each plant grows as an independent, arching fountain of branches but is usually seen in small colonies, not alone. These colonies are clones formed from a single plant and may occupy just a few square feet or increase to room-size proportions. The colony forms from ground-hugging stolon that grow horizontally from the base of each plant. When these stolons root, a new shoot will emerge and a new plant develop. The opposite leaves of buckbrush are usually oval in outline and usually shaped somewhat like the profile of a small pecan. The leaves are held late in the season, and during late falls take on a pleasant butter yellow fall color. In shady sites the leaves will often be marred by a severe case of powdery mildew, which seems to be natures way of keeping this shrub from becoming too rambunctious. The flowers are insignificant, quarter-inch-long affairs produced in midsummer amongst the upper leaves of the plant. In late summer clusters of reddish-purple, pea-size fruit are produced at the tops of the slender branches which arch over with their weight. The berries persist through the winter and are one of the plant’s most attractive features. Finding buckbrush is not difficult for it grows almost everywhere east of a line from central North Dakota to central Texas. Native Americans used the slender stolons of buckbrush for weaving beautiful and strong, yet lightweight baskets. Buckbrush’s common name indicates it must be used as a deer browse plant, but from personal experience, its favor by our feathered friends seems more reserved. As a youth packing my 20 gauge, I dutifully tromped through every colony of buckbrush knowing that any sensible covey of quail would take refuge in the thicket. Apparently quail and I have different notions of refuge, for I’ve never flushed a covey from amongst the tangled branches. At least one large wholesale nursery is producing buckbrush in containers, but it is still rare to meet with in garden centers and nurseries. Several selections have been made, the most striking of which is the variegated form. The variegation consists of a gold band around each leaf. Buckbrush will grow in full sun or shade in about any soil. It responds well to cultivation and will be taller and fuller when given even minimal care in the garden. I use it in my shade garden to help define walkway paths and as a foil for planting in front of taller shrubs. It makes an excellent groundcover for slopes that are too steep to mow. If colonies ever get too unruly looking, a springtime visit by a brush hog will whip them back into shape.
Coralberry, buckbrush (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus): Coralberry, also known as buckbrush, is the native shrub most likely to be confused with bush honeysuckle. Coralberry has similar opposite leaves with entire margins, but the leaves are generally smaller compared to bush honeysuckle. The berries of coralberry are dark purple or pinkish, unlike the red berries of bush honeysuckle. Lastly, only the young plants of bush honeysuckle could cause confusion, since coralberry is only 2-4 feet tall. Bush honeysuckle can grow to be 15 feet or more
Yes . You do not want bush honeysuckle Birds and animals will spread it though It just takes over once it starts spreading
I thought it may be what you refereed to . Said it was sometimes called buck brush and often mistaken for bush honey suckle .
Nah, that big article I posted is exactly what we have. Sent from my SM-N900V using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
I have a group of deer absolutely hammering the buckbrush in one of my spots right now, and there is also a massive amount of the bush honeysuckle taking over my neighbor's back 40. He hates it, and it is amazing how fast it spreads and grows. Back in NC we had kudzu that would take over and destroy wood lots, and is almost impossible to kill.
Wow, I am learning a lot from this discussion. I guess the main takeaway for me is to look out for those red berried bushes... Appreciate all of the help guys!
Multi flora rose doesn't seem to be any where near the problem it was years ago I always wondered if honeysuckle choked it out ?
Regions differ drastically. Just about anything that's still green in my area. Fescues, clovers...honeysuckle, kudzu...greenbrier...woody brows, mostly soft mass, they hit the maple pretty hard mid-late winter. If your not sure what the primary food source is at any given time, focus on the doe, doe leave a ton of sign and will show you exactly what it is.
