Common Snowberry vs Black Crowberry - TreeTime.ca

Common Snowberry vs Black Crowberry

Symphoricarpos albus

Empetrum nigrum

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

CUSTOM GROW

Common Snowberry
Black Crowberry

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.

Black Crowberry is a native evergreen shrub that forms low, spreading mats. It has unique foliage that spiral around the stem, and small dark berries, giving it visual appeal. The berries are edible, but can be acidic, so are not generally eaten fresh. In colder climates they have a sweet, tart taste, and are dried, used in deserts, or for making jams or jellies.
It provides food for birds and mammals, while its flowers attract pollinators such as bees. Its ability to grow in harsh climates makes it an important species for ecological balance.
Black Crowberry has historical significance as it provided a vital food source for the indigenous cultures of the arctic regions. It is abundant in Scandinavia and is used to make liqueurs, wines, and juices. In Newfoundland and Labrador the berries are known locally as ‘blackberries’ and are used in jams, jellies and baked goods like buns and puddings.

Common Snowberry Quick Facts

Black Crowberry Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Spread: 0.4 m (1.3 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: any
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, matt-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: none

Toxicity: berries toxic to humans

Foliage: evergreen needle-like leaves
Bark: red-brown shredded bark
Flowers: pink to white flowers in spring
Flowers: pink-red, very small
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Berries: white waxy berries
Berries: purplish-black, edible
Flavor: bland, slightly bitter
Harvest: late summer to fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NT
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU
Other Names: common snowberry
Other Names: crakeberry, curlewberry, heathberry, northern crowberry