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    • Photo of Symphoricarpos albus foliage, fruit by Nic McPhee

    Photo by Nic McPhee

    This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

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    Buy Symphoricarpos albus

    Also Known As

    • Common Snowberry
    • Ice Apple
    • Snowberry

    Plant type

    shrub

    size

    • H: 3'-6'
    • W: 4'-6'

    planting zones

    • 3a-9b

    quart - bare root | $11.69

    Shipping flat rate $8.49

    Fewer than 8 at Red Panda Nursery

    1 gallon | $19

    Buy button links to nursery site for checkout

    51 at Forestfarm

    2 inch wide, 4-6 inch deep tube | $10.95

    Buy button links to nursery site for checkout

    71 at Forestfarm

    More Options

    Symphoricarpos albus plant details

    Symphoricarpos albus is a fast-growing broadleaf deciduous shrub with green foliage. In spring and summer pink flowers emerge followed by white fruit. Attracts birds, butterflies and hummingbirds making it an excellent addition to pollinator gardens. Grows well with mostly sun - shade and even moisture - regular water. Drought tolerant once established. Adapts to various soil conditions. Does well in well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something for erosion control.

    CHARACTERISTICS OF Symphoricarpos albus

    Plant type: shrub
    Plant family: caprifoliaceae
    Foliage: deciduous green
    Mature size: 4 FT - 6 FT - wide, 3 FT - 6 FT - tall
    Flowers: pink blooms in spring and summer
    Uses: bare root shipping available, fall color, winter interest

    GROWING CONDITIONS for Symphoricarpos albus

    USDA Zones: 3a - 9b
    Sun exposure: mostly sun - shade
    Watering frequency: even moisture - regular
    Resistant to: erosion
    Soil needs: well-drained

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    Nursery contributed plant descriptions

    Grown for its large snow-white fruits which persist through the winter making it a singularly beautiful 3-6' shrub. Native to the western and central U.S., this thicket forming shrub is has pretty soft-pink spring blooms and is tough, adaptable and very attractive to song birds. This exquisite shrub was one of the many collected by the Lewis and Clark expedition. The seed were given to Thomas Jefferson who sent it to the nurseryman Bernard McMahon who called it snowberry for its pure-white berries. Jefferson's Monticello was one of the first gardens this plant was grown in before becoming a popular novelty plant in England. It has historically been used by some Native American tribes medicinally. S-PSh/M-D

    By: Forestfarm

    The summer foliage resembles that of Spirea with its small, deep green leaves growing densely throughout the shrub. Clumps of small white or pink flowers cover the plant in early summer. The real interest is in the winter, however, after the leaves drop. In the fall the leaves fall away to reveal masses of white berries similar in size to blueberries attached to the dark woody stems, left there for the birds when very little else is available (however the berries are not edible to humans).
    The snow berry is very drought tolerant and survives throughout the summer at our nursery even without water, however its preferred climate is near streams and creeks. Deer will occasionally eat the fresh growth but prefer other plants.

    By: Red Panda Nursery

    A rounded, deciduous shrub, snowberry is a N. American native with matte pale green leaves and tiny pink bell-shaped flowers in June and July, followed by white berries. The berries are not edible, but do remain attractive on otherwise bare winter branches because birds don't really care for them either. This is a pretty native that can form the matrix of any native garden. 3 - 6' T & W Minimum temperature: -40?F

    By: Dancing Oaks Nursery

    A small, rounded deciduous shrub with a horizontal branching pattern. The bell-shaped spring flowers are pinkish, pendulous and lightly fragrant. While the blooms are not very showy, the white berries that form from after flowering are very attractive and persist into late fall. Foliage color begins as bluish green and turns to yellow in the fall. Does spread by underground suckers. Should be pruned to shape before new growth appears in spring. Nice choice to naturalize an area or for a shaded shrub border. Growth Rate fast

    By: Garden World

    Also known as White Coralberry, White Snowberry is a popular hollow stemmed deciduous shrub with opposite toothed or irregularly lobed leaves. White bell-shaped flowers begin to bloom in late spring, with attractive snow white berries appearing in late summer. Tolerating a variety of soil types and thriving in clay, Symphoricarpos albus is an important food and shelter source for birds. Zones 2 - 5.

    By: Prairie Nursery

    This deciduous shrub grows 2' tall by 3' wide. Snowberry is named for its attractive white berries that provide winter food for birds. When planted in the garden, one can expect to attract quail, pheasant and grouse. Don't indulge yourself as berries contain an alkaloid making it poisonous to humans. Good plant choice under oaks and dry shade. Also, great for erosion control on steep banks with it's vigorous deep roots. Native to California and is also found elsewhere in North America and beyond. It is an important winter food source for quail, pheasant and grouse. Provides food and cover for a variety of large and small mammals and many types of birds. Used by the Costanoan people to make brooms and arrows. Found in streambanks and canyons. Communitites located in Mixed Evergreen Forest, Yellow Pine Forest, Foothill Woodland Between 0 and 4000 feet.

    By: The Watershed Nursery

    A charming small, woodland shrub, the snowberry grows 3-5' with an equal spread and bears eye-catching, pure white fruits that look just like tiny snowballs hanging from the slender branches. Plant in sun or part shade and utilize as an informal hedge or in the understory of native oaks. Plants grow well in poor soils and require moderate water; they are generally undemanding. Some confusion exists over the cultivar 'Tilden Park' which was originally selected by Roy Taylor at the Botanic Garden there. It is noted for producing abundant berries larger than those of the species. Hardy to 0F. Western North America.

    By: Native Sons

    A lovely native to most of the country and Canada. With beautiful 1/2" white berries from August through November (often longer) & are great for flower arrangements & which follow clusters of spikey pink flowers in spring, which while small, attract Hummers. Tends to sucker some. Fall foliage color is yellow. Tolerates dry shade (few plants do) and wind after being established. The leaves of Snowberry are a larval food plant of the Death's Head Hawkmoth, Chalcedona Checkerspot, Euphydryas chalcedona in the Pacific Northwest. Can be pruned to a hedge, used for stabilizing a bank and for winter cover birds, food for quail and grouse. Prune suckers back every couple of years if you want to check growth.

    By: Lazy S'S Farm Nursery

    Gardening facts about Symphoricarpos albus plant

    How to Grow Symphoricarpos albus

    • Sun Exposure

      • mostly sun - shade

    • Water Needs

      • even moisture - drought tolerant

    • Soil Needs

      • adaptable
      • well-drained

    • Special Situation

      • erosion control

    Features

    • Foliage Color

      • green

    • Flower Color

      • pink

    • Wildlife

      • birds
      • butterflies
      • hummingbirds

    • Fruit

      • white

    • Flower Season

      • summer
      • spring

    • Foliage Season

      • deciduous

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