Thin-leaved Snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus
- Plant Type
- Shrub (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Shrub
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt, Rocky / Acidic, Calcareous
- Bloom
- June, July
- Sociability
- S3 – Small colonies
Pollinator Value
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Hemaris thysbe, Hemaris diffinis, Automeris io, Hyalophora cecropia, Orgyia leucostigma, Alucita montana, Smerinthus cerisyi, Apamea amputatrix, Eurois occulta, Euphydryas phaeton, Lomographa vestaliata, Harrisimemna trisignata, Polia purpurissata
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- White drupes persist on bare stems through winter [S46, S11]. Consumed by American Robin, Swainson's Thrush, Varied Thrush, Veery, Dusky Grouse, and Spruce Grouse. Also taken by Ruffed Grouse, Ring-necked Pheasant, Cedar Waxwing, Hermit Thrush, Evening Grosbeak, and Pine Grosbeak. Black Bear eats the drupes; White-tailed Deer and Elk browse twigs and leaves.
S57 6 bird species; S10 additional vertebrate consumers; S46 berry persistence
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Secure (S5) in Ontario, not ranked (SNR) in Quebec. Global rank G5, national rank N5 in both Canada and the USA. Not listed under SARA. Widespread across western and central North America; native to ON and QC. The native var. albus is a shorter, more compact form; the larger var. laevigatus is commonly cultivated and occasionally escaping [S7, S61].
S22 ranks; S26 not SARA listed; S1 native; S7 varieties; S61 subspecies
- Rarity Ranks
- QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON S5 – Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Common snowberry inhabits dry to mesic open woodlands, rocky slopes, forest edges, and sandy or calcareous soils across the northern forests [S7, S4]. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region it is uncommon but locally abundant, found on wooded hillsides and rocky open slopes. It colonizes forest margins, old dunes, jack pine plains, and rock outcrops, often forming small thickets through rhizomatous spread [S7, S11]. Tolerates a wide range of light conditions from deep shade to full sun [S4, S11].
S7 dry open sandy/rocky ground; S4 wooded hillsides; S62 uncommon locally abundant; S11 shade tolerance
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = High (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
- Notes
- Functions as a shrub-layer component in the white oak-hazelnut guild, providing pollinator attraction, soil stabilization through its extensive rhizomatous root system, and wildlife food. Tolerant of deep shade under tree canopies, making it suitable for understory planting beneath oaks and other canopy trees. Fire retardant qualities add resilience to mixed plantings.
S72 guild placement; S29 soil stabilization; S11 shade tolerance, fire tolerance
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
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ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Dermatological Aid, Burn Dressing, Eye Medicine, Febrifuge, Cold Remedy, Diuretic, Venereal Aid, Disinfectant, Pediatric Aid, Gastrointestinal Aid
S28 Moerman categories from 46 medicinal uses
- Notes
- Extensively used by Indigenous peoples across western and central North America [S28, S29]. Saponin-rich berries applied externally for burns, rashes, warts, and sores by Cowichan, Hesquiat, and Flathead peoples. Root bark decoctions taken for venereal disease (Chehalis, Cree) and urinary complaints (Chippewa). Infusions of twigs used as febrifuge for children (Nez Perce, Cree). Whole plant infusion applied for skin rash (Cree). Health Canada lists it as a homeopathic substance.
S28 46 medicinal uses across many nations; S29 external wash; S36 NHPID homeopathic
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
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ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →✅ Edible
- Foraging Notes
- Fruit raw or cooked but with an insipid flavour. Contains saponins which are poorly absorbed but make large quantities inadvisable [S29, S4]. One food use recorded in Moerman. Indigenous peoples used the berries sparingly; the plant was far more valued medicinally than as a food source.
S29 edibility rating 1/5, saponins; S28 1 food use; S4 low toxicity berries
- Toxicity
-
⚠️ Moderate Toxicity
Berries contain saponins and possibly calcium oxalate. Low toxicity if ingested; symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea. Saponins are poorly absorbed through the GI tract and are largely broken down by cooking. USDA rates toxicity as Slight. Not listed in Cornell poisonous plants database. External application of saponin-rich berry juice was historically used as a skin cleanser.
S4 saponins, calcium oxalate; S29 saponin details; S11 Slight; S38 not listed
Seed Source
- Akène