Snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus
Last reviewed: September 2026
Symphoricarpos albus is a deciduous shrub that blooms in June and July and produces round white berries. It thrives in part shade with low water once established, often at woodland edges and along stream banks.
Toxicity unknown
Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
part shade
Water
low
Size
36"–72" H × 36"–72" W
Bloom
Jun, Jul
Native to
CA, CO, CT, DC and 32 more states
Pollinators
bumble bees, hummingbirds
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A thicket-forming shrub with fine twiggy branches, small pink bell flowers, and conspicuous waxy white berries that persist well past leaf drop. It handles dry shade and poor soil and is often used to hold slopes.
Growing Snowberry
Grow Snowberry in part shade and low water. Mature plants reach 36 to 72 inches tall and spread 36 to 72 inches wide.
Wildlife value
Small bell flowers are a favorite of bumble bees, and the winter-persistent fruit feeds birds when little else remains.
Common questions
- When does snowberry bloom?
- Symphoricarpos albus produces small pink-tinged white flowers in June and July, followed by clusters of white berries that often persist into winter.
- What pollinators visit snowberry flowers?
- Bumble bees and hummingbirds are regular visitors to snowberry flowers, drawn to the small tubular blooms produced in early summer.
- How much sun and water does snowberry need?
- Snowberry does best in part shade and tolerates a range of light from fuller sun to fairly deep shade. It prefers low to moderate water and handles dry spells well once established.
- What kind of growth habit does snowberry have?
- Snowberry is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub that spreads by suckering, often forming loose thickets in woodland edges, hedgerows, and along stream banks.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
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