Symphoricarpos albus - Shrub - Common Snowberry, Snowberry, Wax Berry Page

Symphoricarpos albus, commonly known as common snowberry, is a beautiful flowering shrub native to North America. It is often found in mountain and forest habitats, woodlands, riverbanks and floodplains across much of Canada, the northern and western United States. The snowberry shrub produces small, pinkish flowers in terminal clusters, followed by small white fruits in fall. This shrub is an important food source for various animals such as bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, and grizzly bears. Livestock like cattle and sheep also readily browse on it. Many birds and small mammals use it for food and cover. Native Americans used this shrub as medicine and a soap due to the saponins it contains, which have a gentle cleansing and healing effect upon the skin. It can grow anywhere and sometimes spreads rapidly, making it perfect for erosion control in riparian areas and as an ornamental plant with its blue-green leaves and white fruits. This shrub grows in full sun to full shade and a well-drained soil that is slightly acidic to well alkaline. It is easy to transplant with its fibrous, shallow root system and is good for USDA hardiness zones of 2 to 7.