Symphoricarpos albus aka Snowberry

Symphoricarpos albus, the common snowberry, is a deciduous shrub in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae. It also goes by the name waxberry. Its native range runs from subarctic North America into the northern and west-central United States. One source places it from Nova Scotia and Alberta south to Minnesota and Virginia. In the wild it grows on dry, rocky slopes, bluffs, barrens, banks and woodland edges.

This bushy, rounded shrub has many stems and dense, twiggy branches. Garden plants reach 3 to 6 feet (0.9 to 1.8 m) tall and about as wide. Small plants may stay near 1.5 feet (0.5 m), while large ones reach 7 feet (2 m). Underground suckers let it spread into thickets, and one source gives a spread of up to 8 feet (2.5 m). Twigs are slender and yellow-brown with a hollow pith. The thin older bark splits to show a purple-brown layer underneath. The simple, opposite leaves are oval and dull blue-green. Their edges can be smooth, wavy or roughly lobed. The leaves give no real autumn colour.

Small, bell-shaped flowers open in late spring and summer. They are pink or pinkish-white, under half an inch long, and grow in clusters at the shoot tips. They make little show on their own. The fruit is the main attraction. Round berries start green and turn bright white, about half an inch (1.5 cm) across. Each holds two nutlets. The berries last from autumn into winter and stand out on bare branches. Late in the season they turn brown and soft.

Snowberry is easy to grow and needs little care. It accepts most soils, including clay, chalk, sand and poor ground, across a wide pH range. It dislikes soil that stays waterlogged. It grows in full sun to partial shade, but full sun gives the most fruit. Once settled, it copes with drought, brief flooding, urban pollution and neglect. It grows fast and survives the harshest winters, from USDA zone 3 to 7 and UK rating H7. Gardeners can remove a third of the older stems each year after flowering. Cuttings and rooted suckers transplant readily.

Gardeners use snowberry in shrub borders, hedges, screens, shade gardens and informal plantings. Its spreading roots help hold soil on banks and slopes. It suits rain gardens, wildlife gardens and winter displays. Birds, butterflies and small mammals visit for the berries, and deer tend to leave it alone. The snowberry clearwing moth uses it as a caterpillar food plant. The main drawback is its heavy suckering. The RHS warns it can become a nuisance and advises against planting it near open countryside.

Serious pests and diseases are rare. Leaf spot, rust, powdery mildew, anthracnose and berry rot can appear now and then. The berries are poisonous if eaten, though the risk is rated low. They may cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Wearing gloves when handling the plant is a sensible precaution.