• Photo of Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® (Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®s)

Plant Profile: Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®

Names

Snow Fountains, Snozofam, Weeping Higan Cherry, White Fountain

  • Photo of Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® (Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®s)

Phonetic Spelling:PROO-nus sub-HIR-tel-uh

Genus:Prunus

Species:subhirtella

Family:Rosaceae

The Weeping Higan Cherry is a small, slow-growing deciduous tree known for its graceful, drooping branches adorned with pure white blossoms in early spring. This stunning display has earned it the commercial names Snow Fountains® and White Fountains®, while its official cultivar designation is 'Snozofam'. The fallen petals create a beautiful carpet on the ground, enhancing its visual appeal. As summer arrives, vibrant green leaves take over, transitioning to striking shades of gold and orange in the fall. Even in winter, when the tree is bare, its architectural silhouette remains captivating, making it an excellent choice for year-round beauty.

For optimal growth, plant this tree in full sunlight within fertile, well-drained loamy soil. While it thrives in full sun and produces the most spectacular floral display under these conditions, it can also tolerate some light shade. Light pruning after flowering can help maintain its shape. This tree is ideal for use as a specimen, in compact spaces, courtyards, borders, or in gardens with a cottage or Asian theme. Its ground-covering form looks particularly elegant cascading over garden walls or adorning sloped areas of the landscape.

In terms of pests and diseases, the Weeping Higan Cherry is relatively resilient. Occasionally, it may encounter caterpillars and leaf miners as insect pests, while blossom wilt and bacterial canker can pose sporadic challenges.

For further details on Prunus x subhirtella, additional resources are available.

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® Feature Summary

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® Image Gallery

Tags

#showy flowers
#fall color
#small tree
#small spaces
#white flowers
#wildlife plant
#slow growing
#pendulous
#winter interest
#fall interest
#flowering tree
#year-round interest
#cascading
#weeping tree
#easy to propagate
#borders
#courtyard
#food source summer
#deciduous tree
#mid-spring flowers
#fall color yellow
#garden walls
#bird friendly
#fall color orange
#butterfly friendly
#problem for cats
#problem for dogs
#problem for horses

Similar Plants

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® Feature Summary

Attributes
Butterflies are attracted to the flowers, birds are attracted to the fruits.
Fruit
Inedible small round red fruits that turn to black form sporadically after flowering.
Red/Burgundy
Black
< 1 inch
Flowers
Early spring single pure white flowers open from pink buds and cover the branches for a bout three weeks giving it a fountain effect as they cascade down.
4-5 petals/rays
Leaves
Dark green ovate leaves appear after flowering and are 3 1/4" long, alternate, change color to golden yellow or orange in the fall.
3-6 inches
Bark
Smooth silvery gray
Light Gray
Whole Plant Traits
Tree
Ground Cover
Weeping
Cascading
Low
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
12-24 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Coastal
Piedmont
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Butterfly Garden
Cottage Garden
Asian Garden
Border
Small groups
Specimen
Flowering Tree
Small Tree
Patio
Small Space
Rock Wall
Butterflies
Songbirds
Problem for Cats
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® Attributes

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Wildlife Value

Butterflies are attracted to the flowers, birds are attracted to the fruits.

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® Fruit

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Fruit Description

Inedible small round red fruits that turn to black form sporadically after flowering.

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Fruit Color

grass
Black
grass
Red/Burgundy

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® Flowers

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Flower Description

Early spring single pure white flowers open from pink buds and cover the branches for a bout three weeks giving it a fountain effect as they cascade down.

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Flower Color

filter_vintage
White

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® Leaves

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Leaf Description

Dark green ovate leaves appear after flowering and are 3 1/4" long, alternate, change color to golden yellow or orange in the fall.

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Gold/Yellow
spa
Orange

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® Bark

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Bark Description

Smooth silvery gray

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Bark Color

grass
Light Gray

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Surface/Attachment

Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® Whole Plant Traits

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® Cultural Conditions

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® Stem

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Stem Color

grass
Green

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains® Landscape

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees

Prunus x subhirtella 'Snozofam' Snow Fountains®: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy