| Snowberry, Symphoricarpos |
| Family | Honeysuckle (Caprifoliaceae) | Height | Varies. S. albus more than 100cm. S. mollis less than 50 cm. |
| Color | Pink | Flowers | White to pink or purple. S. albus and mollis are hairy inside. |
| Blooms | Late spring through early/mid summer. | Leaves | Opposite, simple. S. mollis has hairy undersides. S. albus does not. |
| Habitat | Shaded slopes. | ||
Snowberries are most often noticed in winter for their bright white berries which are an important food source for quail. But, their soft pink flowers should not go unnoticed in mid-summer. They provide a splash of color when many other wildflowers have passed. Snowberries are also called Waxberries. The Symphoricarpos mollis variant is also sometimes called Creeping Snowberry or Trip Vine. While attractive and somewhat tempting, the berries should not be sampled; they contain the isoquinoline alkaloid chelidonine, as well as other alkaloids[1]. They are considered poisonous and should not be ingested. The Snowberry is a host plant for the Snowberry Clearwing, Hemaris diffinis, otherwise known as a Hummingbird Moth. |
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add image to lightboxReferences
Beidleman, Linda H., and Eugene N. Kozloff. Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region: Mendocino to Monterey. Berekeley, CA: University of California, 2003.
Munz, Philip A. Introduction to California Spring Wildflowers of the Foothills, Valleys, and Coast. Eds. Dianne Lake and Phyllis M. Faber. Berekeley, CA: University of California, 2004.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowberry