Creeping snowberry is a native woody subshrub that spreads slowly through rhizomes and rooting stems. It has small pinkish-white bell-shaped flowers in spring and produces white berries in late summer that provide food for birds. Creeping snowberry thrives in part to full shade and is useful as a groundcover or for erosion control under trees. It requires well-drained soil and moderate water but is drought tolerant once established.

1. Creeping Snowberry – Symphoricarpos mollis (sim-for-i-KAR-pos MOL-lis)
Family: Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family)
Native to: Much of coastal and mountainous North America from British Columbia to S. CA; along
streamsides, on ridges and dry sunny slopes near coasts, and in open places in woodland habitats.
Growth characteristics: woody subshrub mature height: 2-4 ft. mature width: 3-4+ ft. Low-
growing, spreading deciduous shrub. Shape is mounded, with slim arching branches. Slow-growing.
Evergreen with small neat-looking opposite leaves. Naturally spreads slowly by underground rhizomes
and by rooting of stems that touch bare ground.
Blooms/fruits: Blooms Mar-June. Flowers occurring in clusters of small, hanging, bell-shaped, pinkish-
white blooms (a bit like Manzanita blooms). Fruit is a white berry, paired in late summer.
Uses in the garden: Most useful as a groundcover in shady gardens. Useful for erosion control because of
its rhizomes. Does well with Mahonia, currants, Heucheras and other shade-lovers under firs and other
trees. Looks good in planters or borders in part to full shade.
Sensible substitute for: Non-native berry bushes and honeysuckles.
Attracts: Bird habitat: nesting cover for the endangered least Bell's vireo; white berries for Mockingbirds,
Finches, Towhees, other berry-eating birds. Native bees, butterflies love the flowers.
Requirements:
Element Requirement
Sun Full sun to full shade; does best with more sun in the immediate coastal regions
Soil Any well-drained local soil
Water Moderate too low levels of summer water (every 2 weeks or so); quite drought
tolerant once established, but does fine with semi-moist soils.
Fertilizer Light fertilizer or organic mulch for more flowers & fruits
Other
Management: Does fine with neglect. For more attractive plant and more blooms/fruits prune heavily
(to ground or nearly so) in late fall and give light supplemental fertilizer.
Propagation: from seed: requires stratification by cuttings: hardwood in fall; probably also semi-
softwood in summer.
Plant/seed sources (see list for source numbers): 1, 12, 13, 14, 20 1/15/15
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2. Symphoricarpos mollis
Creeping snowberry