Caprifoliaceae
Symphoricarpos albus

Common Snowberry

Slender shrub. Stems erect, with stiff branches. Leaves opposite, deciduous, oval to round, 1–2 in. long, entire. Flowers 6–18, clustered at stem tips. Flowers pink or white, bell-shaped, divided 1/2 the length of bell into 5 lobes, densely hairy inside. Fruit is white, berry-like, each with 2 seeds; hangs through winter after leaves fall; inedible and considered poisonous by some. Grows in moist to dry forests, shady to open slopes, at low to mid elevations. Var. laevigatus differs, its flower swollen and covered with glands on lower side. Similar S. occidentalis has style extended beyond flower lobes; grows on moist low ground in shrub-steppe.

  • Rarity: Common
  • Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer
  • Life Cycle: Perennial
  • Height: 2--6 feet
  • Habitat: West-Side Forest, East-Side Forest, Coastal
  • Found In: Siskiyous, West Gorge, Wallowas, Mt. Rainier Np, Olympic Np, N Cascades Np
  • Native: Yes