Snowberry, Bare Root

Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)

A suckering shrub for informal borders and connected habitat patches. White berries make it easy to recognize in fall, but its role as a caterpillar host is just as useful.

Key Characteristics

A clearwing moth nursery

Snowberry clearwing moth caterpillars feed on the leaves. Their parents resemble small bumblebees in flight, making this a useful host to watch near a garden path.

White berries are for the planting

Birds and small mammals use the fruit and shelter. The berries are not a snack for people, so distinguish this shrub from edible berry plants.

Use the spreading habit deliberately

Let it fill an informal hedge or slope where a colony is welcome. Remove unwanted suckers along maintained edges.

Product Details

• Native range: Much of northern North America and the western and central United States
• Life cycle: Deciduous woody perennial
• Sun: Full Sun; Part Sun/Shade
• Soil moisture: Medium-Dry; Medium; Medium-Wet
• Mature height: 3–6 feet
• Bloom: June–July–August
• Bloom color: Pink, White
• USDA hardiness zones: 3–7
• Fruit or seed: White ornamental berries for wildlife; not for human consumption.
• Pollination: Plant several seedlings for a broader flowering and fruiting patch; more sun generally improves fruit display.

Planting and Ongoing Care

Keep bare roots moist until planting, water the root zone during establishment, and mulch without covering the crown. Base fertilizer on a soil test; our Tree Planting Kit fertilizer blend can be used according to its label when feeding is needed.

Thin crowded stems for airflow and inspect leaf spots before treating. Keep establishment moisture steady. Avoid insecticides on open flowers. Seed-grown plants vary in growth, flowering, and fruiting.