Round-leaved snowberry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Round-leaved snowberry
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Dipsacales
Family:	Caprifoliaceae
Genus:	Symphoricarpos
Species:	S. rotundifolius
Binomial name
Symphoricarpos rotundifolius A.Gray 1853
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The Symphoricarpos rotundifolius, also known as the round-leaved snowberry, is a cool plant found in North America. It's a type of subshrub, which means it's a small plant that has woody stems like a bush but doesn't grow as tall. It belongs to the honeysuckle family, which is famous for its beautiful flowers and sometimes tasty berries!

Where Does It Grow?

The round-leaved snowberry is a native plant, meaning it naturally grows in the western parts of the United States and northwestern Mexico. You can find it in many states, including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and eastern Oregon. It also grows in the Oklahoma Panhandle, far western Texas, and northern Baja California in Mexico.

What Does It Look Like?

This snowberry plant can grow in a few different ways. It might stand up straight (erect), spread out wide, or even trail along the ground. It usually reaches about 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 meters) tall and has many stiff branches.

Stems and Leaves

The older, woody parts of the plant have bark that looks like it's shredding or peeling off. The newer, smaller twigs are covered in soft, fuzzy hairs.

Even though its scientific name, rotundifolius, means "round leaved," the leaves aren't perfectly round! They are actually more oval or elliptic in shape. These leaves are about 1/4 to 3/4 inch (0.6 to 1.9 centimeters) long. The top side of the leaves is green, while the bottom side is a lighter green with many visible veins.

Flowers and Fruit

The flowers of the round-leaved snowberry grow in a cluster called a raceme. These clusters come out from where the leaves meet the stem. Each cluster usually has one or two flowers that hang downwards. The flowers are narrowly bell-shaped and can be pink or white. They are about 0.4 inches (1 centimeter) long and have a lobed opening.

After the flowers bloom, they turn into a white, berry-like fruit. This fruit is called a drupe and is about 0.4 inches (1 centimeter) wide. Inside each fruit, you'll find two seeds.

The name of the plant's group, Symphoricarpos, means "fruits together." This is because the flowers and fruits often grow in pairs on the plant. You can usually see these plants flowering from June through August.