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Common Snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus
  
About Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) 50 Nurseries Carry This Plant Snowberry is a practical and versatile shrub in the honeysuckle family. It provides food and shelter for wildlife and is an ideal pick for shady and sloped areas in the landscape. Its delicate bell-shaped flowers attract local bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The white berries that give this bush its name are a favorite food for birds (although they are toxic to humans).
In its natural setting, snowberry grows in moist, shady areas. In the garden, snowberry is easy to grow in either sun or shade. It tolerates a variety of soils and moisture levels, but can enjoy summer irrigation in drier areas.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
3 - 6 ft tall
6 ft wide

Form
Form
Rounded, Fountain

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Winter Deciduous

Fragrance
Fragrance
None

Flower Color
Flower Color
White, Pink

Flowering Season
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.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 10 confirmed , 19 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Shade, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low, Moderate-HIgh

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 3x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Medium

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

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

Companion Plants
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
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
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
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
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


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


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