I need to move some established snowberry shrubs forward about 8 feet to make room for a large 7′ propane tank. I’m hoping to salvage the snowberry shrubs which are currently in a mostly shady location and would continue to be in shade after I move them. (I’m hoping they will block the view of the propane tank. Do you have any tips on transplanting this type of shrub? Or is it too difficult to do once they have reached 5+’ tall? Am I better off starting with smaller snowberry that are only 3′ in height?
According to the following information from University of Connecticut’s Plant
Database, snowberry or Symphoricarpos albus, is easily transplanted.
From an Olympia nursery catalog, Sound Native Plants:
Symphoricarpos albus – Snowberry
Exposure: full sun to shade
Soil moisture: very moist to dry
Transplanting success: high
Growth rate: rapid
Form: deciduous shrub to 2-6 feet; fibrous, shallow root system, spreads
vigorously by suckers
Snowberry is an incredible survivor, flourishing in situations that would slay a
lesser plant. It transplants well, tolerates sun or shade, withstands drought
and/or occasional flooding, and spreads quickly even in poor soil or on steep
hillsides. Another plus for snowberry is that it is one of the few native shrubs
that stays small–it averages three or four feet tall–and thus is a good choice
for areas where view corridors are important. Hooray snowberry!
If it makes it easier for you to move the plants, you can prune them back (this
is usually done in spring). If individual plants have grown into a dense mass of
stems, you can also dig up each whole plant and only replant smaller pieces of
it.
Do you have some suggestions for hardy, lower growing plants that would do well near the water? Our house is on the south side of Whidbey Island. The main plantings will be behind the house, thus roughly 75-100 yards from the shore. This part of the yard has early morning sun and then some shade in the afternoon. And, since we have a large yard at home we are working toward very low maintenance at the beach.
The following plants are mentioned in April Pettinger’s book, Native Plants in the Coastal Garden (Whitecap, 2002):
SHRUBS
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Kinnikinnick)
Gaultheria shallon (Salal)
Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen huckleberry)
Rosa nutkana (Nootka rose)
Holodiscus discolor (Oceanspray)
Symphoricarpos albus (Snowberry)
Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon grape)
NATIVE GRASSES
Festuca idahoensis (Idaho fescue)
Festuca idahoensis spp. roemeri (Roemer’s fescue)
Leymus mollis or Elymus mollis (Dunegrass)
Deschampsia cespitosa (Tufted hairgrass)
Festuca rubra (Red fescue)
Glyceria grandis (Reed mannagrass)
Muhlenbergia glomerata (Marsh muhly)
There are many other ideas in this book, which I highly recommend.
Elymus mollis, Festuca, Gaultheria shallon, Glyceria, Holodiscus discolor, Mahonia aquifolium, Muhlenbergia, Rosa nutkana, Seaside gardening, Symphoricarpos albus, Vaccinium ovatum
How and when do I prune snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)?
Symphoricarpos albus is a suckering plant, so you can literally prune it to the ground. It will probably come back healthier than ever (assuming it’s healthy at the time), especially if you do it in early spring. Snowberry can take over and will likely crowd out lower plants; keeping it in check can be done with a lawn mower, weed eater, or by hand pruning. I suppose you could shear it or selectively prune it, but to maintain its natural growth habit, pruning it to the ground is your best bet.