Snowberry have clusters of white, waxy berries that remain on the shrub and are easy to spot in winter. The shrubs have multiple branches and are 2-6 ft tall. The opposite, oval leaves are up to 2 in long.
Clusters of small, pinkish-white, bell-shaped flowers appear at the end of stems from mid-May to July. The flowers attract hummingbirds but are mostly pollinated by bees.
Snowberry can be found in most parts of Canada and the United States except for the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico and parts of the far north. They're usually found in dry, open areas and rocky slopes but are very adaptable.
Could it be? Wolfberry (Buckbrush), a related species, are small shrubs (2-4 ft tall) found in dry western prairie areas. They have leathery, oval leaves and pinkish-white berries. Mountain Snowberry are low-growing shrubs (2-4 ft tall) with spreading, sometimes trailing, branches found in the western mountain ranges of Alberta and British Columbia south to California and New Mexico.
Did you know? Snowberries are high in saponins and Indigenous peoples in North America used to use them as a shampoo and antiperspirant.
See Also: Wild Strawberry, Bearberry, Blackberry, Chokecherry, Elderberry, Highbush Cranberry, Huckleberry, Oregon Grape, Saskatoon Berry, Silver Buffaloberry, Thimbleberry
