Snowberry - Symphoricarpos albus

Symphoricarpos albus, commonly known as Snowberry for its white wildlife berries, is a shrub native to Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. It grows to about 4 feet in height and appreciates a wide range of conditions, but prefers medium to medium-dry soil moisture and full sun. Also grows in shade but flowering will be reduced. Flowers in spring with white clusters of small, pink-tinged, bell-shaped flowers, followed by white berries in fall. Berries hold on the plant for use by winter birds, eventually fading to brown. Plant 3 to 6 feet apart.
 
We don't normally stock this plant because we don't have a seed source for it. We are placing a special order from a downstate nursery for bare-root Winterberry shrubs, 1 to 2 feet tall. The nursery states that while they don't use neonicotinoids, they do use other pesticides. Note that these shrubs are bare-root, and will need to be planted soon after arriving. Those that aren't sold will be potted up into gallon pots and sold later in the season when rooted at a higher price to cover potting materials and labor.
 
If you have a native stand of this shrub on your property, we would love to collect some seed so we can offer it up to our usual pesticide-free, U.P. genotype standards.