Northern Snowberry
Symphoricarpos occidentalis Hooker
Northern Snowberry: https://marylandbiodiversity.com/species/17124
Synonyms

Source: Wikipedia

Symphoricarpos occidentalis

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Dipsacales
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Genus: Symphoricarpos
Species:
S. occidentalis
Binomial name
Symphoricarpos occidentalis
Hook. 1833

Symphoricarpos occidentalis, commonly called western snowberry,[2] is a woody species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family.

Description

[edit]

Symphoricarpos occidentalis is a creeping shrub. The leaves are up to 8 centimetres (3 in) long, with smooth edges and typically a hairy underside.[3]

The flowers are pink and rounded to bell-shaped. The fruits are spherical or bulbous shaped, white or pink-tinted.[4]

Distribution and habitat

[edit]

Symphoricarpos occidentalis is native across much of Canada plus the northern and central United States as far south as Oklahoma, northeastern New Mexico, and the Texas Panhandle.[2][5]

It grows near streams and in moist soils.[3]

Cultivation

[edit]

Western snowberry is grown for use in native plant and wildlife gardens, and as a bird food plant in habitat landscapes.[citation needed] It is considered to be a weed in certain situations.[2]

Edibility

[edit]

The berries are inedible.[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ NatureServe (2024). "Symphoricarpos occidentalis". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c NRCS. "Symphoricarpos occidentalis". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Turner, Mark; Kuhlmann, Ellen (2014). Trees & Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest (1st ed.). Portland, OR: Timber Press. p. 310. ISBN 978-1-60469-263-1.
  4. ^ Jones, George Neville (1940). "A monograph of the genus Symphoricarpos". Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. 21 (2): 201–252.
  5. ^ "Symphoricarpos occidentalis". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
[edit]