creeping snowberry
Symphoricarpos mollis
Native Americans used the saponin-rich berries as a gentle soap, and bundled the flexible, woody stems together to create brooms.
- Scientific name
- Symphoricarpos mollis
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Dipsacales › Caprifoliaceae › Symphoricarpos
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Dry to moist forest understories, chaparral, and open woodlands
- Diet
- Photosynthetic (requires sunlight, water, and soil nutrients)
- Range
- California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Idaho
- Size
- 30 to 60 cm tall, trailing up to 1.5 meters wide
- Lifespan
- 10 to 30 years (clonal colonies can persist much longer)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss from urban development, overgrazing, and invasive plant species competition.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch and safe to observe at any distance. However, the white berries contain saponins and are mildly toxic to humans; do not ingest them. If ingested in large quantities, monitor for stomach upset and seek medical advice if vomiting or diarrhea occurs.
Symphoricarpos mollis , with the common names creeping snowberry , Southern California snowberry , and trip vine , is a shrub in the Honeysuckle Family (Caprifoliaceae). It is found in western North America from British Columbia to California inland to Nevada and Idaho.
Photo: Jeffrey Lee (he/him/his), CC-BY, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/210ac8b7-b51e-4405-9df1-1d6a9c7cf273.md