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Swapping Huckleberries

Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album)  Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album) has been an attractive feature along our north-facing foundation since I planted it in 2016. You will have to take my word for it since I cannot locate a photo although I know one exists somewhere in the realm of the Internet or floating on a cloud somewhere.  I did locate a photo of how it looked when it was first planted - It took a few years to fill out but it did so nicely to an attractive mound about 2 feet high by 3 feet wide.  Last year, it started to look bad.  I cut it back but it had not improved and this is how it looked a few weeks ago - I decided to rip it out and plant another huckleberry - this time Vaccinium ovatum , more commonly known as the "Evergreen Huckleberry".  This is a plant that I've wanted for ages and kept putting off getting one because I could not find a good place for it. By most accounts, this is an amazing plant, a native one and excellent for
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Alabama Snow Wreath


{{{This post was written for my website A Southern Garden}}}

This shrub is blooming beautifully in my garden today!

Alabama Snow Wreath
(Neviusia alabamensis)

Native to the southeastern U.S.
Mature Height: 3-6 ft.
Growth Rate: Moderate
Soil: Moist, well-drained, not picky
Light Requirements: Sun/partial shade
Foliage: 1" - 2" long medium green leaves, deciduous, alternate with sharp-toothed margins
Flower/Fruit: White protruding stamens in early spring
Hardy to Zone 4

Discovered in 1857 by Reverend Reuben Denton Nevius on a bluff above the Black Warrior River near Tuscaloosa, this is a rare shrub not often seen in nurseries or gardens. I obtained mine from a local nursery that specializes in native plants but it can also be purchased at Forest Farm (www.forestfarm.com).

The shrub forms arching branches that eventually form a rounded mound. The flowers (which are actually stamens) appear very early, as soon as other plants are leafing out. They resemble a spirea or maybe a loropetalum in appearance. I have mine growing underneath a yoshino cherry tree where it receives dappled shade. It has bloomed reliably but never densely (more profuse bloom would probably be achieved with more sun). I have been told that the shrub can sucker in rich, moist soils but so far, this has not been a problem.

After blooming, the shrub is fairly nondescript and there is no fall color. Alabama Snow Wreath would be right at home in a woodland garden or in a border mixed with other early spring-flowering shrubs.
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  1. GailMarch 26, 2008 at 5:38 AM

    Phillip,
    It's a beautiful flowering shrub that I have admired in my gardening books...does it have any fragrance?

    Gail

    ReplyDelete
  2. CanadianGardenJoyMarch 26, 2008 at 8:39 AM

    This flower reminds me of my Virgin's Bower one .. nice !
    Joy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Phillip OliverMarch 26, 2008 at 5:09 PM

    Gail, sadly there is no fragrance.

    Thanks Joy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. WayneMarch 27, 2008 at 2:36 AM

    The folers remind me of a fothergilla that i have. The leaves look simular also.

    ReplyDelete
  5. WayneMarch 27, 2008 at 2:38 AM

    I meant flowers. I need to proof read before I hit the button.

    ReplyDelete
  6. RuralityMarch 27, 2008 at 7:34 PM

    Oh nice one! I have read about this plant but haven't ever seen one.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousApril 18, 2008 at 9:52 AM

    Thanks for the information. I purchased two of these at a plant sale yesterday because we love to add native plants to our garden, but no one I talked to could tell me anything about them. This is just what I needed. Your garden is beautiful!

    Emily

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousApril 12, 2012 at 7:29 PM

    Do you know an online site where I can purchase it? I garden in northern Delaware.

    ReplyDelete

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