Family: Rosaceae (Rose family)
Exchorda x macrantha 'The Bride'

This June 'Bride' is a shy one for sure.

During one of the sudden cold snaps last winter a friend asked me what she should do to protect her "pearlbush" from freezing. She's very fond of it and wanted to make sure it survived. I'd never seen it. I asked its botanical name, she wasn't sure, I said it was probably a snowberry--Symphoricarpos 'Mother of Pearl'--and it would be fine. But I said I'd look it up just to be sure I'd named the right plant. And of course, I hadn't.

I entered pearlbush into the Google Image search bar and voila! Photo after photo appeared of Exchorda x macrantha 'The Bride'. I sent her the link and she called me right away. "That's it. That's my plant."

Not to worry about freezing, I said: I have a reliable reference book that tells me it's hardy to 20 below. But I was struck by the fact that most of the first places I go to find information about plants didn't mention Exchorda at all. That, and the fact I was interested in learning more about deciduous shrubs sent me searching for trustworthy Exchorda facts.

I learned quickly that where this plant is concerned, it was best to search for images rather than text. And when I entered Exchorda into the image search bar, or Exchorda 'The Bride' or Exchorda macrantha or any other entry involving the plant's botanical name, a maximum of three images turned up. But when I entered its common name, pearlbush, I was instantly rewarded—well, okay, it took 0.10 seconds--with three pages of thumbnails, many of them from university sites, others from museums and botanical gardens. Add information from old garden books to what I learned online, and here's what I can pass along to you:

Native to northern Asia, the genus was named in either 1849 or 1858 and includes four or, perhaps, five species, depending on who's counting, all hardy to 20 below on either the Celsius or the Fahrenheit scale. Except only one variety, hybrid, or cultivar (it's not clear which), named 'Northern Pearl', is hardy enough to survive in Minnesota--although I can't find it listed for sale anywhere. 'The Bride' is a selection of Exchorda x macrantha, a hybrid between E. racemosa and E. korolkowii that was developed at Holland's Grootendorst about 1938. That was only three years after the release of the enormously popular American movie, The Bride of Frankenstein. Coincidence? I think so. I can find absolutely no evidence of any connection between the two. Still, it would be nice to know just whose Bride was so deeply honored.

Other facts? E. racemosa was among the spring-flowering shrubs that bloomed 10 to 14 days early this year in Lincoln, Nebraska. They spell it recemosa. That shrub can grow to either 10 or 15 feet and its leaves may be up to 2 or 3.5 inches long. And it might be marked E. macrantha instead of E. racemosa (or recemosa, if you're in Nebraska). 'The Bride' might aspire to a height of 6 feet, or 2.5 to 3 feet, depending on which book you read; and it's more likely to be dense and compact than not.

What everyone seems to agree on is that exchordas are fine plants for the urban landscape, but generally underutilized. All take acid soil--except the ones that take "any soil"-- and sun (or part shade); all bloom in May, all have beautiful round buds--hence the name "pearlbush"--that open to pure white flowers with pale yellow centers. The foliage is nicely formed and a pretty blue-green, the peeling, orange-red bark in winter is a pleasant sight, and the seedpods are very interesting. They remind me of star anise. The plant isn't vulnerable to many pests or diseases and is generally carefree. It's said by some to thrive on neglect. Some books say never prune it, others say prune it every year, right after it blooms. Others say prune it whenever you want, the flowers form on old wood anyway.

My point? Sometimes available information about plants defines "conflicting." My solution? Use reliable sources and weigh the odds as best you can. Then take the plunge. And hedge your bets by asking your fellow Master Gardeners for information. Yes, it might be anecdotal; and yes, you may want to keep it for your own edification rather than release it to the public as authoritative. But it's more than likely to be extremely helpful. Just look at the photos accompanying this article. I asked, and Jill Cotton and Elisabeth (and Harold) Bays responded. That's the way Master Gardeners are. They respond, when any of us needs help.