Common Snowberry vs Illini Hardy Blackberry - TreeTime.ca

Common Snowberry vs Illini Hardy Blackberry

Symphoricarpos albus

Rubus fruticosus Illini Hardy

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Common Snowberry
Illini Hardy Blackberry

Common Snowberry is a small deciduous shrub with characteristic white to pink flowers and clusters of white fruit.

This North American native species is very adaptable, and can be used for erosion control in riparian and restoration areas. Snowberry's fruit attracts wildlife, and livestock can consume the berries without issue.

The Illini Hardy Blackberry was developed in Illinois for northern growers, and produces a large, juicy blackberry with medium-sweet flavor. The berries are ready for harvest in midsummer, and go great in preserves.

The Illini Hardy Blackberry, or the Illinois Blackberry, are floricanes, primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn’t require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

Common Snowberry Quick Facts

Illini Hardy Blackberry Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium

Toxicity: berries toxic to humans

Bark: red-brown shredded bark
Flowers: pink to white flowers in spring
Berries: white waxy berries
Berries: black
Flavor: medium
Harvest: July
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: common snowberry
Other Names: illinois blackberry