Symphoricarpos rotundifolius

Common Names

Roundleaf Snowberry, Mountain Snowberry, Round-Leaved Snowberry

Summary

Roundleaf Snowberry is a western North American deciduous shrub with an erect, spreading or trailing habit, typically 3–4 ft tall, older wood with shreddy bark and newer twigs coated in fuzzy hairs. Leaves are opposite, oval to elliptic and 1/4–3/4 in long; inflorescences are racemes from leaf axils with one or two pendant pink to white narrowly bell-shaped corollas up to 1 cm long, followed by white berry-like drupes about 1 cm wide containing two seeds that persist into winter. Flowers are nectar-rich and attract butterflies and other pollinators, and the plant blooms June–August in montane to subalpine woodlands on slopes and ridges.

Grows in full sun to partial shade and prefers dry to moist, well-drained soils with low water requirements; hardy to USDA zones 4–10. It spreads via rhizomes and is used in native plantings, wildlife habitat, and erosion control.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

3-5 ft

Spread

3-5 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-10

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun. Tolerates partial shade

Soil Type

Well-drained loamy soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

5.0-7.0

Bloom Color

Pink to white

Bloom Time

Summer

Foliage Color

Green to gray-green foliage, with green upper surfaces and pale green undersides.

Fall Foliage Color

Lemon Yellow, Pink

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Seasons of Interest

Summer

Propagation Methods

Cuttings, Rhizomes

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts butterflies, other pollinators