Habitat

• native from central Asia to southern Russia
• hardy to zone 3
• Special Note: This species has demonstrated an invasive tendency in Connecticut, meaning it may escape from cultivation and naturalize in minimally managed areas. For more information, .

Habit and Form

• a multistemmed deciduous shrub
• branching is upright and then overarching toward the tips
• dense and twiggy
• 10' to 12' tall with an equal width
• shape is rounded

Summer Foliage

• opposite, simple leaves
• ovate shape
• 1.5" to 2.5" long
• 1" to 1.5" wide
• leaf color is blue-green
• leafs out early in the spring

Autumn Foliage

• no fall color

Flowers

• small white, pink or rose-red blossoms
• 0.75" long
• borne in pairs
• usually quite numerous, but not overwhelmingly showy
• bloom time is May

Fruit

• red berries
• fruit colors in July and August
• berries are 0.25" in diameter
• when produced in large quantities they can be relatively showy

Bark

• light, ashy gray
• often peels off in vertical strips
• to some degree not really a significant ornamental character

Culture

• full sun is best
• needs to have dead twigs pruned out periodically
• relatively free of pests
• easy to grow
• adaptable to most soils

Landscape Use

• border
• mass planting
• difficult growing sites
• barrier
• an old-fashioned plant

Liabilities

• not as ornamental as other shrubs that would fill the same niche
• weedy and tends to self sow and become invasive
• Russian aphid is a significant pest
• need to remove dead twigs periodically

ID Features

• blue-green foliage
• white, pink or rose-red flowers in May
• red berries in the summer
• twiggy and dense
• buds usually superposed
• pith is white

Propagation

• by cuttings
• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

'Alba' - This plant has pure white flowers and is otherwise similar to the species.

'Arnold Red' - One of the more popular commercial forms, this selection has the darkest red flowers. It is reported to be resistant to Russian aphid.

'Freedom' (possibly a selection or cultivar of L. korolkowii) - Introduced by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, this form has blue-green leaves, white flowers tinged with pink and red fruit. It is reportedly resistant to the Russian aphid.

'Lutea' - This plant has pink flowers and yellow fruit.

'Nana' - A dwarf form (to 3' tall), this plant bears pink flowers.

'Rosea' - The flowers of this selection are rose on the outside and pink on the inside.