The snowberry’s light green leaves are ovate, rounded, or elliptical.

They measure up to 2 inches long.

Common Snowberry Care

Thebest USDA zonesfor the common snowberry are 3 through 7.

It originally comes from North America and can tolerate dry or poor soils.

The spread voraciously and sucker removal is encouraged so this plant does not overtake your garden.

Afull sun to partial shadelocation will provide the best growing conditions.

Use the common snowberry as part of a dry woodland garden.

It can also tolerate poor soils where other plants may fail.

Except for during the germination and seedling period, this plant does not grow well in containers.

Birds like their fruit, making it a good shrub choice for a wildlife garden.

Light

Plant snowberries in full sun or partial shade.

It can be grown in full shade, but it may not produce snowberries proficiently.

Soil

Snowberries can grow in a wide variety of soils.

These plants prefer clay but can also grow well in sandy and rocky soils.

Snowberries are commonly found growing along streams and swampy thickets, and they grow in dry areas, too.

Water

Water snowberry regularly until it is established, about an inch of water per week.

It can go longer between watering after its established.

This shrub is drought-resistant; give it additional water during very hot or dry periods.

As a zone 3 plant, it can tolerate temperatures as low as minus 40F.

It can tolerate all humidity levels.

If planted in organic, enriched soil, only fertilize once in the spring.

Types of Common Snowberry

Variegatais a cultivar that bearsvariegated leaves.

The horticultural variety oflaevigatusalso shares this trait.

Do not prune in summer; you might not have any berry production if you do.

Only trim after the plant has completed fruiting.

Balance the shape or reduce the size of the branches.

Remove dead wood and fragile branches.

Propagating Common Snowberry

This shrub likes to producesuckersand will naturally spread.

One of the easiest ways to propagate snowberries is using its own suckers.

Dig up a sucker, snip it, and plant it where you want a new shrub to grow.

Propagation by cuttings or suckers is best done at the end of summer and fall.

Pruning or stem cutting encourages denser growth, keeping your plant looking neat.

Some snowberry seeds can remain dormant in the soil for 10 years.

The seed coat of snowberries is tough, and germination is lengthy.

You’ll find it best tostratify and scarifythe seeds to improve the germination rate.

With scarification, you cut or weaken the seed coat so that it can germinate.

Stratifying the seeds tricks the seed into thinking winter has passed, and it’s time to grow.

Each berry contains two seeds.

Remove the seeds from the berries and clean off the moist berry covering.

Moisten the soil by misting it.

Next comes stratifying the seed.

The seeds should germinate.

when you land seedlings, overwinter them indoors for their first season.

Transplant them outdoors after the threat of frost is gone.

It is cold-hardy, and can sustain cool, harsh temperatures.

It may getaphids, best controlled withinsecticidal soaporhorticultural oil.

Common Problems With Common Snowberry

Common snowberry is a resilient plant; its biggest susceptibility is fungi.

Although, it can be kept in check with good air circulation and watering at the basenot overhead.

Water immediately to prevent plant death.

If the crown dries out, the entire plant goes with it.

A sign that the plant is not getting enough water is that it produces fewer and smaller leaves.

If spots form as leaves emerge in the spring, it is because of fungi.

The spots may appear as dark brown lesions that become bleached, and then the lesion expands.

It can cause blackened fruit.

Also, plant growth can become stunted, and berries can dry out and die.

To control fungal growth, remove diseased leaves and branches.

Apply a copper-based fungicide.

Overly moist environments encourage fungal growth.

Dying Branches

Inspect the shrub carefully forscale insects.

Although rare, they can infest a snowberry shrub.

Scale feeds on the sap of the shrub, killing the branch.

Apply the oil before the crawlers develop hard, impenetrable scale armor that protects it against control measures.

It is invasive in the United Kingdom.

But since snowberry is native to North America, it is not an American invasive species.

Creeping snowberry is an excellent alternative since its berries are not toxic to humans.

Winterberry produces red berries, snowberries are white.

Snowberry.Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.