Snow plants (or snow flowers) appear out of the ground during springtime in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. You can find these bright red plants after the snow has been melting away. They are very dazzling and stand out in an area where you mostly will find green and brown foliage. You may also see these plants grouped together. Snow plants are native to California but have also been found in western parts of Nevada, and Oregon. I currently live near the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California and can find them during this time of year.
Sarcodes Sanguinea
The snow plant’s scientific name, Sarcodes sanguinea translates to “fleshy bloody flesh-like thing” named by John Torrey. These plants are part of the heath (Ericaceae) family and are related to blueberries, cranberries, azaleas, and manzanitas. I have started to grow blueberries and now can understand visually the resemblance between blueberries and snow plants. Both plants form bell-like flowers. Even though snow plants do not produce berries like some of their relatives, they are still edible and can be consumed if cooked like asparagus. However, these plants are protected and it is illegal to pick, destroy or collect these plants.
Parasites
Snow plants are actually parasites. They lack chlorophyll which basically means that they cannot photosynthesize and produce food from the sun. That is why they also lack a green color. Now since they cannot produce chlorophyll they have to derive their food in another way and this is where the parasite comes into play. They feed off of fungi found in conifer forests. The fungi, specifically mycorrhizae fungi, attach to the roots of conifer plants. They help to bring water to the conifer plants and in return the conifer plants will produce nutrients from photosynthesis and provide it to the fungi. Snow plants attach to the fungi to receive the nutrients produced by the conifer plants during photosynthesis. Snow plants don’t kill the fungi, but they use them to receive their food from them. Conifer plants are plants that contain cone-bearing seeds. You will find snow plants in conifer forests in the Sierra Nevada Mountains which are full of conifer trees: redwood and pines trees to name a few.
Next time you go hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, look for these beautiful plants during spring when the snow has melted away.
Here are a few links for additional information regarding this plant: