Summary ⁶

Symphoricarpos rotundifolius, commonly known as snowberry or round-leaved snowberry, is native to the western United States and northwestern Mexico. The plant flowers from June to August and produces a white berry-like fruit.

Botanical Information ⁷

Snowberry is a densely branched shrub that can reach 3-6 feet tall and can spread out 4-6 feet wide. It is in a small genus of about 15 species in the honeysuckle family known as Caprifoliaceae. Its botanical name is Symphoricarpos and it is derived from the Greek words “symphorein” (to bear together) and “karpos” (fruit) which refers to the closely packed berries the species produces. Other names for Snowberry are: Waxberry, Ghostberry, or Bola de Nieve in Spanish.
All of the species in the Caprifoliaceae family are native to North and Central America except for one which is native to China. The leaves of this plant are long and entirely rounded with 1-2 lobes at the base (1.5-5 cm long). The flowers it produces are greenish white to pink that appear in small clusters of 5-15 together in some, paired, or alone in others. They bloom anywhere from May to September.

The fruit is 1-2 cm round, soft, and is mainly white in color with some variations. Once the berries are broken open, the fruit inside looks like fine, sparkling granular snow. The flesh is spongy and contains 2 (2-5 mm long) whitish, egg shaped stone seeds which are more or less flattened containing endosperm and a small embryo. The seeds have a tough, hard, and impermeable covering that are very hard to germinate and may be dormant for up to 10 years.

Ecological Information ⁸

Snowberry can be found along streams, in swamps, moist clearings, and open forests. It prefers well drained, heavy soils (like clay) with areas that provide enough sun.
Snowberry’s flowers attract bees and butterflies which are responsible for the pollination. The berries on the bush remain on the branches for almost the entire winter serving as an important source of food for: quails, grouse, pheasants, and bears. Rabbits and mice eat the stem of Snowberry bushes; while elk and white-tailed deer feed on the leaves of Snowberry. Fruit eating animals facilitate dispersal of seeds. Also, many birds and small mammals use snowberry as shelter or as an ideal place for nesting.

Ethnobotanical Information ⁸

Snowberry has many medicinal uses. An infusion made from snowberries can be used in treatment of sore, watery eyes. Fresh snowberries can soothe burns, rashes, and sores on the skin. The root and stem of Snowberry can be used in treatment of urinary retention, tuberculosis, venereal diseases, and fever associated with toothache. Crushed snowberries are used as natural lotion for the hands in Russia. Native Americans used the fruit of Snowberry as a natural shampoo (due to the foaming properties of this plant) and to accelerate the digestion of fatty meals.
Ingesting the berries for humans causes mild symptoms of vomiting, dizziness, and slight sedation in children due to the isoquinoline alkaloid chelidonine as well as other alkaloids.

References ⁹

United States Department of Agriculture. (2014). Symphoricarpos rotundifolius A. Gray var. rotundifolius. In
PLANTS Database. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=SYROR

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, April 24). Symphoricarpos. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 2, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphoricarpos

WSU Clark County Extension. (n.d.). Common Snowberry, Symphoricarpos albus. PNW Plants. Retrieved February 2, 2022, from http://pnwplants.wsu.edu/PlantDisplay.aspx?PlantID=298

About the Author ⁸

Student author(s)*: Amadeus (age 6) and Sasha (his dad) from Homeschool Science Coop and Rio Grande Roots and Shoots

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) James Gaither, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/13892958@N07/3742775692
2. (c) amadeus9, all rights reserved
3. (c) dinozen, all rights reserved
4. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/27311323394/
5. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/27310184923/
6. Adapted by caseynm from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
7. Adapted by smiller33 from a work by (c) dinozen, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
8. (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
9. Adapted by Kiley Spurlock from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
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• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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