Western Snowberry
Symphoricarpos occidentalis
- Native to:
- Canada, United States
Hardyplants (en.wikipedia.org) at English Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Caprifoliaceae
- Genus:
- Symphoricarpos
- Species:
- Symphoricarpos occidentalis
- USDA Symbol:
- SYOC
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub
- Height:
- 150 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- white, pink
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
American snout butterfly (Libytheana carinenta), Anicia checkerspot (Euphydryas anicia), 🛑Bachman's snout butterfly (Libytheana bachmanii)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals, bees
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from rhizomes after fire; forms dense colonies in post-fire prairie and grassland communities.
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
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 90–180 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–180 days
- Notes:
- Germination can be erratic; seeds may require extended cold stratification and may take up to two seasons to germinate.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).
Source: Claude AI