snowberries

genus Symphoricarpos

Member of honeysuckle family (family Caprifoliaceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)

There are no other wild species of this genus in the bay area.

Key features:

plant height
number of berries in each cluster

Both species host snowberry sawfly (Blennogeneris spissipes).

garden snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus

plant 60–180 cm, erect
corolla swollen on 1 side, with 5 nectary glands within swelling
inflorescence generally 8–16-flowered

creeping snowberry
Symphoricarpos mollis

Plant 15–60 cm, sprawling
corolla scarcely or not swollen, 5 nectary glands, 1 below each corolla lobe
inflorescence generally 2–8-flowered

Toxicity of snowberry, coral berry (Symphoricarpos spp., Symphoricarpus spp.):
3 – Ingestion of these plants is expected to cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms that may cause illness but is not life-threatening.

2 observed taxons / 1 key

Chris’s observations: 46 (15 are research grade)

Locations:

Nisene Marks SP: 5
Golden Gate National Recreation Area: 4
San Bruno Mountain State & County Park: 4
Coal Creek OSP: 2
DeLaveaga Park, Santa Cruz: 2
Portola Redwoods SP: 2
Sibley Volcanic RP: 2
Stevens Creek CP: 2
Sweeney Ridge National Recreation Area: 2
Almaden Quicksilver CP
Alum Rock Park, San Jose
Bear Creek Redwoods OSP
Calero CP
Coal Mine Ridge Nature Preserve
Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt Redwood RP
Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve
Foothills Nature Preserve, Palo Alto
Henry Cowell Redwoods SP
Jacks Peak CP
La Honda Creek OSP
Lake Chabot RP
Lexington Reservoir CP
Los Trancos OSP
Mt. Diablo SP
Murray Ranch SP
Picchetti Ranch OSP
Rancho Cañada del Oro OSP
Sam McDonald CP
San Pedro Valley CP
Windy Hill OSP

Months:

Apr.: 1
May: 4
Jun.: 2
Jul.: 6
Aug.: 8
Sep.: 11
Oct.: 3
Nov.: 6
Dec.: 3
Jan.: 1
Feb.: 1

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Not all sites include this taxon:

genus Symphoricarpos → iNaturalist – Calflora – Jepson eFlora
not yet listed → FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora