Western Snowberry

Symphoricarpos occidentalis

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Caprifoliaceae
Genus:
Symphoricarpos
Species:
Symphoricarpos occidentalis

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Shrub
Height:
4-6 ft
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
jun, jul
Bloom Colors:
White, Pink
Landscaping Shrub:
Yes

Native Range

United States: Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan

Host Plant for Caterpillars

American snout butterfly (Libytheana carinenta), Anicia checkerspot (Euphydryas anicia), 🛑Bachman's snout butterfly (Libytheana bachmanii)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Northern amber bumble bee (Bombus borealis), Northern amber bumble bee (Bombus borealis), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
6.0 - 8.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
dry to moderate
Notes:
adaptable to various soil types

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o