Common Snowberry,
symphoricarpos albus is in bloom at my house, with more flowers than ever before, which of course equals more berries! I bought this from
Forestfarm, and I'm extremely happy with it!
So I was playing with the macro to get pictures of these tiny beauties, when I realized that this
wasp is doing the pollinating! I can't say that I'd noticed this before, (on this or any other plant for that matter!) But here he was, going flower to flower like any other pollinator would..which is fine by me, cuz' whoever's the best bug for the job, I say go for it!
Such cute little pink bells, and the berries are pretty as well as food for some birds, but
poisonous to humans-even listed as "sedative to children" (?!) A tool for the diabolical babysitter, perhaps?
7 comments:
This is the one I have too. The flowers are just tiny buds right now.
I tasted a couple snowberries in Golden Gate Park last year. They weren't bad. I'd heard they tasted soapy, and they did have a soapy aftertaste. I like that they hang on to the plant for so long.
So you tasted them? Guess they aren't poisonous after all! I like the edurance of the berries also, this one still had some as late as March, but I think a bird got them. It's just so unusual to see stark white berries on a plant-I do a double-take every time.
What a cool plant. I am totally unfamiliar.
Nice to see one of our West Coast natives in your yard. This is a very sweet plant. I love seeing them in winter in the forest with the evergreens as backdrops.
All the best, BOB
Yeah, I won't even touch a mushroom, but berries...how bad can they be? I've never heard of anyone going to the hospital because they sampled a berry.
I think Symphoricarpus albus is native to large swathes of North America. But creeping snowberry, S. mollis, is a California native. I'm pretty sure a Wisconsin winter would kill it. But I don't know.
Well, I guess mistletoe berries are deadly.
EAL-It was funny, I just happened upon it in the catalog while looking for bushes with berries that are hardy to my zone. I'm trying to maximize my new plantings to be attractive while also providing more bird/wildlife benefit. (Plus I just like perusing the Forestfarm catalog in general-their selection is huge!)
Chuck-Yea, definately stay away from those mistletoe berries! Maybe that's why they always hang mistletoe up high...hate to think somebody would try it as some sort of aphrodesiac!
Post a Comment