Mountain Snowberry, Roundleaf Snowberry, Utah Snowberry: Symphoricarpos rotundifolius (Synonyms: Symphoricarpos oreophilus, Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. oreophilus, Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. rotundifolius, Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. vaccinioides, Symphoricarpos tetonensis, Symphoricarpos utahensis, Symphoricarpos vaccinioides)

Mountain snowberry is a low to medium height shrub with opposite leaves, and creamy or pinkish, tubular flowers at the ends of the erect, branching stems. :Plants commonly arise from 0.5-1 meter in height. The herbage of young stems and leaves varies from glabrous to densely puberulent. The leaves are elliptic-ovate to mostly elliptic in shape and the blades range from 1-3.5 cm long and 5-25 mm wide. The leaf petioles are roughly 1-4 mm long.

The inflorescence consists of few-flowered terminal racemes at the ends of the branches. The corolla is an elongated bell or slightly flaring tube (See photos.). The corolla varies from 7-10 mm long with the corolla lobes 1/4-1/2 as long as the tube. The tube is most commonly hairy below the filaments, but may sometimes be glabrous. The anthers are about 1-2 mm long and are about the length of the filaments. The style is glabrous and varies from 2-4 mm long. The fruit is broad, white, ellipsoid berry from 7-10 mm long.

Mountain snowberry may be found on open slopes and dry meadows, as well as thickets from the foothills to high elevations in the mountains.

Mountain snowberry may be found from southern British Columbia south to California (to the east of the Cascade crest) and east to Montana, and hence south through the Rocky Mts. to New Mexico and northern Mexico. It is fairly common across the intermountain basins of the west, but at higher altitudes in the southern portion of its range.

The photo above illustrates the elongated fruits of mountain snowberry as seen at the Jackman Park Campground, Steens Mountain, Harney County, Oregon........September 2, 2011.

Mountain snowberry blooming atop Bickleton Ridge in the Bickleton Ridge Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area.........June 17, 2017.

The photo at left shows a close-up of the flowers and leaves of mountain snowberry as seen near the summit of Simcoe Butte in the Simcoe Mts. of northern Klickitat County, Washington..........June 16, 2007. The photo at right shows a close-up of the flowers of mountain snowberry as observed along the Stein's Pillar Trail #837, Ochoco National Forest.......June 2, 2018.

Mountain snowberry as seen at left along the Gray Butte Trail #852, Crooked River National Grasslands.........June 24, 2017. The photo at right shows mountain snowberry in bloom along the Fremont National Recreation Trail #160 on the western slopes of Twelvemile Peak, Fremont-Winema National Forest......July 16, 2022.

The photo at right shows a close-up of the drooping bell-shaped flowers of mountain snowberry as seen high on the east-facing slopes of Burch Mt., several miles north of Wenatchee, WA........June 6, 2009. The photo at right shows roundleaf snowberry in bud as seen along the Fremont National Recreation Trail #160 on the east side of Crook Peak, Fremont-Winema National Forest.......June 28, 2019.