Common Snowberry, Symphoricarpos albus

About Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) 47 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Common Snowberry is a native shrub in the Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle) family that is found in many parts of the state, from the coast to east of the Sierras, primarily in moist, shady locations below 4,000 ft. It is moderately fast growing and long-lived, spreading by rhizomes to form a dense thicket where conditions are suitable. It grows in a rounded form with stem tips tending to droop, to a height of 5+ feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. Flowers are pink and bloom in the early summer. The fruit is a white berry that is valued by wildlife but toxic to people. This plant and others in the genus have many uses, in shady areas, for bank stabilization, in snowy areas, and to attract wildlife. There is some taxonomic disagreement over this plant, with some authorities recognizing only var. laevigatus.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

3 - 6 ft tall
6 ft wide

Form

Rounded, Fountain

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Fragrance

None

Flower Color

White, Pink

Flowering Season

Summer, Spring

Wildlife Supported

Various insects and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers. Berry and seed eating birds are attracted to the fruit.
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 10 confirmed

, 20 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Variable Checkerspot Euphydryas chalcedonaEuphydryas chalcedona

Snowberry Checkerspot Euphydryas colonEuphydryas colon

Elegant Sphinx Moth Sphinx perelegansSphinx perelegans

Vashti Sphinx Moth Sphinx vashtiSphinx vashti

Orange Tortrix Moth Argyrotaenia franciscanaArgyrotaenia franciscana

Behrensia conchiformisBehrensia conchiformis

Pleromelloida consertaPleromelloida conserta

Landscaping Information

Sun

Shade, Part Shade

Moisture

Low, Moderate-HIgh

Summer Irrigation

Max 3x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 47

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil Drainage

Medium

Soil Description

Tolerates a variety of soils. Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0

Common uses

Bank Stabilization, Hedges, Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

Use with other woodland plants such as Dogwood (Cornus sp.), Pines or Firs (Pinus sp. or Abies sp.), wild Rose (Rosa sp.), native ferns, Oaks (Quercus sp.), and other trees, as well as larger chaparral shrubs such as toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

Maintenance

Powdery mildew is sometimes an issue. To prevent, make sure the plant has good air circulation and avoiding overhead watering.. To control spread, prune rhizomes from unwanted areas in winter.

Propagation?

Easiest to propagate from rhizome cuttings. For propagating by seed: Soak in concentrated H2 S04 1 hr. (or 3-4 mos. warm stratification) and 4-6 mos. cold

Natural Setting

Site Type

Moist, shady places in the Coast Ranges, Central Valley, Sierras and foothills, Transverse Range and Peninsular Range. It is most commonly found in forested or woodland habitats.

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 3.5" - 119.9", Summer Precipitation: 0.16" - 3.52", Coldest Month: 28.3" - 58.3", Hottest Month: 49.1" - 86.5", Humidity: 0.04" - 37.99", Elevation: 13" - 9771"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Upright Snowberry, White Snowberry

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Common Snowberry

Symphoricarpos albus

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Common SnowberrySymphoricarpos albus

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Common Snowberry

Symphoricarpos albus