We don’t notice snowberries in the summer but by the fall when all the leaves start to fall, the clustered white berries stand out on the ends of branches of the shrubs.

They are not edible and in quantities are poisonous since have a chemical called cheladonine which causes vomiting, diarrhea, and a sedative effect on humans. Birds seem to eat them in winter, though.

The plants grow by rhizomes making a thick mat under the surface of the soil. They are drought tolerant and will grow on steep slopes. For this reason, they are sometimes planted as a decorative shrub.

The berries are spongy and make a bit of a popping sound if squished. In late spring the shrub blooms with small pink flowers, mostly unnoticed by hikers, but we often have to push through the shrubs when we go off trail. We start to notice them in the fall when the sides of trails are lined with the white berries.