# snowberries (*Symphoricarpos*)

Snowberries are small, white berries that grow on bushes. They look like little snowballs and are often found in gardens and wild areas. These berries are not for eating, but they are fun to look at!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Forests

![snowberries](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Symphoricarpos_albus_7927.jpg&width=800)

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Wsiegmund assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Symphoricarpos_albus_7927.jpg)

## Appearance

The snowberries plant has small, bell-shaped pinkish-white flowers that mature into distinctive, waxy, pearl-white berries. Its oval, bluish-green leaves provide a vibrant contrast to the bright berries, which often remain on branches through winter.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Dipsacales
- **Family:** Caprifoliaceae
- **Genus:** Symphoricarpos

## Interesting facts

- Even though they look like delicious candies, these bright white berries are not safe for human tummies!
- Its tiny, bell-shaped flowers are a secret snack bar for busy bees and other buzzing insects!
- Long ago, some Native American tribes used snowberries to make a natural, frothy soap!
- Step on a ripe snowberry and it makes a fun 'pop!' sound, like tiny bursting balloons!

## Special abilities

- **Winter Wonder Berries:** Snowberries can keep their bright white fruits through winter, providing a vital food source for birds when other treats are scarce.
- **Bird Dispersal Expert:** Snowberries has berries that are a favorite food for many birds, which helps spread its seeds far and wide to new places.
- **Tough Pioneer:** Snowberries can grow in many difficult spots like poor soil or shady areas, showing its amazing resilience.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-200 cm
- **Spread:** 100-200 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.6 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — eats snowberry fruits, aiding seed dispersal
- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits snowberry flowers for nectar and pollen
- **Eats:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses snowberry foliage, especially in winter
- **Shelter:** [Deer Mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/deer-mouse) (*Peromyscus maniculatus*) — uses dense snowberry shrubs for cover

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
- [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.
- [Fall Color](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fall-color): Fall color refers to the seasonal change in foliage pigmentation, primarily in deciduous plants, displaying vibrant hues.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Do not eat snowberries, as they can make you feel sick.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify snowberries?

Compare how the fruit is clustered, the leaves and their arrangement, the stems and any thorns. Red, blue and black fruits grow on lots of unrelated plants, and the same color can show up on both edible and poisonous species. Berry Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is snowberries?

100-200 cm

### How wide does snowberries spread?

100-200 cm

### How big are the flowers on snowberries?

0.3-0.6 cm

### When does snowberries bloom?

Late spring to early summer

### Is snowberries edible?

No

### Is snowberries toxic?

Mild

### What is snowberries's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Snowberries: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/snowberries)