Side by side
Fly honeysuckle or snowberry? How to tell them apart
Lonicera xylosteum · Symphoricarpos albus
How to tell them apart – fly honeysuckle: shrub with softly hairy, opposite leaves, small yellowish-white flowers in pairs and glossy red berries that hang in pairs from a single stalk; snowberry: small, hairless, blue-green leaves and white berries.
How do you recognise them?
- Fly honeysuckle
- Shrub with softly hairy, opposite leaves, small yellowish-white flowers in pairs and glossy red berries that hang in pairs from a single stalk.
- Snowberry
- Dense shrub with small, round leaves and white berries that pop when you step on them.
- Compared with fly honeysuckle: small, hairless, blue-green leaves and white berries.
| Fly honeysuckle | Snowberry | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, 3–6 cm, broadly oval, untoothed, greyish-green and softly hairy on both sides. | Opposite, 2–5 cm, round to oval, untoothed (sometimes lobed on vigorous shoots), blue-green. |
| Flowering | Small, two-lipped, yellowish-white flowers in pairs on a hairy stalk, in May–June (May–June). | Small pink bells from June to September, busy with bees and bumblebees (June–September). |
| Fruit | Glossy red berries, in pairs and slightly joined at the base, in July–August; poisonous. | White, spongy berries (1–1.5 cm) that hang on into winter; poisonous. |
| Bark | Greyish-brown, peeling in long strips. | Thin, brown twigs that peel in strips. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 1–3 m | Shrub, 1–2 m |
| Site | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun to shade, any garden soil, dry to wet |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | No, naturalised |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets |
| Pruning months | November–March | February–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Fly honeysuckle is poisonous to people and pets: take care with children and animals.
- Snowberry is poisonous to people and pets: take care with children and animals.
- Fly honeysuckle is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
Read on
- Plant profile: Fly honeysuckle
- Plant profile: Snowberry
- Fly honeysuckle: when and how to prune
- Snowberry: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.