Q: We moved here in April and have this wonderful bush in front of our house. However, we don’t know the name of it and have not been able to find it in any of the books we have looked through. Plus, we have some questions about it. Is it native to this area? How tall will it become? Can it be easily moved? If so, what time of year is best? Does it need a lot of water? Will fertilizer cause it to loose its variegated color? This is a wonderful specimen and we want to take the best care of it. Our house is about 4 years old so it hasn’t been here a long time. Thanks for any information you can offer.
A: This lovely shrub is called Snow Bush, Breynia nivosa. Snow Bush prefers to grow in Central and South Florida, but it might survive here a few winters if it is protected and if we do not have a true hard freeze. A hard freeze occurs when temperatures go below 28 degrees for more than 4 hours. It is possible in warmer climates for it to reach a height of 8 feet with a 4 foot spread. It is planted under a tree however it does best in full sun. There is no indication that Snow Bush is drought tolerant however we know it is not salt tolerant. The flowers it produces are green and inconspicuous but you should see pretty red berries, which are almost an inch long.
If you choose to move it I would suggest you do so in the late winter, perhaps February. You should prune the roots of this shrub 10-12 weeks prior to transplanting it into another area. Continue to water it during that time in order to encourage the shrub to grow new roots. When transplanting the shrub into a new hole, dig it 2 to 3 times the width of the root ball. Add nothing to the new plant hole (no fertilizer or organic soil). After planting your shrub at the same depth it was previously planted simply water it for several weeks until it is established into its new environment. Do not fertilize until 2-3 months later. You may use the same fertilizer you use on azaleas or camellias, but do not over do it. Follow the directions on the fertilizer label. Adding fertilizer around the root area should not alter the color of the leaves; they are naturally variegated in colors of white, green, red and pink.
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