Alabama Snow Wreath is Good Addition to Woodland Garden

The Alabama snow wreath (Neviusia alabamensis) is a member of the rose family. It is native to the southern United States and is hardy in Zones 4 through 8. This shrub is very versatile and is worth considering for residential gardens.

This flowering shrub likes a sunny location but can handle some shade. The plant does best is moist, well drained soil. It prefers an acid soil that is loose in composition. The branches take on an arching shape that tend to make the plant look unkempt unless pruned. Like most flowering shrubs, prune the plant just after the flowers fade.

The flowers appear in mid-spring. There are no visible petals and outstanding display comes from the stamens. They are long and white with a green center calyx. The flowers appear on bare branches and among the earliest shrubs to bloom each year. The bush will set very small fruit with appears from June to mid-October, but there is not enough fruit to call it a physical attraction.

The snow wreath is easily propagated by taking soft wood cutting in early summer. The use of a rooting hormone is not necessary but can help assure the cutting will survive. When grown in a container, this flowering shrub transplants easily. The best time for transplanting is early spring and late fall when the shrub is in a state of dormancy. Some people report good success in propagating the snow wreath by cutting a suckering branch with some roots still attached and replanting in its new location.

The snow wreath does not have the attributes to make it a specimen shrub. Use it in a shrub border or in the middle of a deep border garden. The snow wreath grown to a height of 3-6 feet high and wide. The smaller size makes it a good choice for planting with other shrubs that flower at the same or even different times in the growing season.

In the wild, the snow wreath grows in clumps, or colonies. It is found along streams, in both heavily and lightly wooded areas, and among rock boulders. This flowering shrub would look natural in a residential or park woodland garden setting.

This shrub is on the endangered list for Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. It is available commercially but may be difficult to locate. Consult with a local plant nursery about ordering the Alabama snow wreath.

Sources
North Carolina State University, http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/shrubs/neviusia_alabamensis.html
Alabama snow-wreath, by Thelma Glover,http://www.gpc.edu/~decbt/articles/neviusia_alabamensis_gray.htm
Endangered Plants of the Southeast US, Gulf South Research Corporation, http://www.goldendelighthoney.com/tes/NEAL/neal_text.html