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Products > Symphoricarpos mollis
 
Symphoricarpos mollis - Creeping Snowberry

Note: This plant is no longer in stock. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.  
Image of Symphoricarpos mollis
[2nd Image]
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Shrub
Family: Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckles)
Origin: California (U.S.A.)
California Native (Plant List): Yes
Flower Color: Pink
Bloomtime: Spring
Synonyms: [Symphoricarpus]
Height: 1 foot
Width: Spreading
Exposure: Cool Sun/Light Shade
Deer Tolerant: Yes
Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs
Winter Hardiness: 0-10° F
Symphoricarpos mollis (Creeping Snowberry) - A deciduous sub-shrub typically growing to only 1 foot tall but slowly spreads by rhizomes to form 3 to 4 foot wide patches with attractive soft rounded light green leaves on reddish stems. Pink flowers, few to a cluster, appear in late spring and are followed in summer by globbose white berries.

Plant in cool coastal sun or shade in most any soil (tolerates clay) and water little to occasionally. Cold hardy to at least 0 °F. The flowers are visited by hummingbirds and the fruit is eaten by some birds, though this is noted as a last resource as these berries have compounds in them that make them taste like soap. Some list this fruit as edible though the the presence of saponins makes them unpalatable. A great accent or groundcover shrub for the woodland garden that goes well with ferns, Currants, Coral Bells and other plants that make up the dry woodland setting.

Symphoricarpos mollis naturally inhabits woodland hills and mountain slopes of the Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, and mountains of Southern California, Santa Catalina, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands where it is often found growing on north slopes, in ravines, and sometimes in full sun close to the coast. The name of the genus is from the Greek words 'symphorein' meaning "to bear together" and 'karpos' meaning "fruit" in reference to the clustered fruits. The specific epithet is the Latin word for smooth and references the smooth or soft foliage. Most often called the Creeping Snowberry for the slowly spreading rhizomes, though other common names include Southern California Snowberry, Dwarf Snowberry and Trip Vine. 

The information displayed on this page about Symphoricarpos mollis is based on the research we have conducted about it in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.

 
San Marcos Growers, established in 1979, closed for regular business on December 23rd 2025 as the property will be developed for affordable housing.
The gates are closed but we will be open by appointment only as we liquidate remaining plants, supplies and equipment. Our remaining plants are listed on our Live Inventory Page.
 
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