Common Snowberry

Symphoricarpos albus

Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 3–6 feet
Spread: 3–6 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 4.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 5 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Symphoricarpos albus photograph — (c) Gavin Slater, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: Early summer
Fruiting season: Summer to fall

Recorded in 13 Virginia counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

24CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Symphoricarpos

Hemaris diffinisSnowberry Clearwing
Hemaris thysbeHummingbird Clearwing
Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
Apamea amputatrixYellow-Headed Cutworm Moth
Archips rileyanaSouthern Ugly-Nest Caterpillar Moth
Automeris ioIo Moth
Callizzia amorataGray Scoopwing
Campaea perlataPale Beauty, Fringed Looper
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Dysstroma citrataDark Marbled Carpet

Show all 24

Dysstroma truncataMarbled Carpet
Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
Euphydryas phaetonThe Baltimore, The Black Checker
Eurois occultaGreat Grey Dart, Great Brocade
Haploa leconteiLeconte's Haploa
Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
Hesperumia sulphurariaSulphur Moth
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Lomographa vestaliataWhite Spring Moth
Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Palthis asopialisFaint-Spotted Palthis

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

4BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Symphoricarpos

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

17BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Symphoricarpos

Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Catharus fuscescensVeery
Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
Centrocercus urophasianusGreater Sage-Grouse
Coccothraustes vespertinusEvening Grosbeak
Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse

Show all 17

Ixoreus naeviusVaried Thrush
Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
Perdix perdixGray Partridge
Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Caprifoliaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–7b
Soil pH: Neutral
Flower color: Pink or white
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Summer
Fruit ends: Fall

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Early summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Flower color · “Pink or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–7b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “3–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “3–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Pacific Snowberry; Snowberry

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S3
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Growing cautions

Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Common Snowberry

At a glance

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Growing cautions

Sources

More Symphoricarpos