Snowberry Bush

The Snowberry bush is a beautiful shrub used for the purpose of ornamenting landscapes and gardens. The plant belongs to the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae and its scientific name is Symphoricarpos albus. Owing to its beautiful white flowers, this plant is named as Snowberry. This species is adapted to drought and dry climatic conditions. Snowberry is also known by names like Coralberry and common Snowberry.

Characteristics

• This landscaping shrub is a native to Central and North America. It is widely found in the mountainous regions of California, Pennsylvania and British Columbia. The coastal regions of Nevada, Alaska, Canada, New Mexico, Montana, Minnesota and San Luis Obispo also support growth of Snowberry.
• The bush size is approximately 3-6 six meters. The deciduous plant has an extensive underground rooting system that grows like rhizomes and thickets.
• The color of the flowers ranges from pink, creamy to white and emits unpleasant odor. It grows on leaf axils and on twigs The flower color is pink normally during the summer season.
• The bush bears large berries that are white in color. The fruit pod on opening resembles a snow ball. They ripen in the month of August or September and the fruits turn black and fall off.
• The fruits are considered to be edible, as saponins, the toxic agent present in the berries, are destroyed while cooking. The berries taste bitter and so they are known as 'feminine food'.
• The plant grows well on coastal zones, although it can be grown under all types of soil conditions. Clay soil best supports growth of Snowberry plant.
• Other climatic conditions that support growth of Snowberry plants are shade and sun. The winter and the fall season with moderate rainfall are the ideal conditions for full growth of this bush.

Care

Snowberry bush pruning is more commonly associated with adequate growth of foliage. While pruning the trees, you might come in contact with the sap, that often causes allergy on skin. Make sure you wear gloves before starting the process. The trees are pruned with the help of hedge trimmers that are run parallel to the top of the trees while pruning. The trees are usually pruned during the growing season to ensure that its foliage is retained. However, maintain the desired height by avoiding chopping off too much from the top. Since the growth of the bush is quite dense you have to prune the interiors carefully. Use a lopper if the hedge trimmer cannot penetrate the interiors. After trimming off clear the debris fallen on the ground.

One should not confuse this common Snowberry with pink Snowberry bush, having scientific name, Symphoricarpos chenaultii. It differs from the common one and this species has pink flowers and fruits that are either white or pink. These shrubs are denser and grow up to a height of 2 meters. The medicinal properties of the berries are explored for making eyewashes and soaps. The berries are used for treating rashes, irritation, allergies, redness and soreness. They are often used as fishing baits as its poisonous to fish. This perennial plant species gives shelter to many species of birds. The plant is often cut to make brooms for sweeping. It has significance in ecological restoration as it is used to control erosion in dry and abandoned lands. A Snowberry bush also serves as an important source of food for many wild animals like bears, cattle, sheep, deer, etc.

Apart from the usefulness in different fields, this plant appears wonderful, blooming with white flowers and berries looking exactly like balls of snow.