Indigenous to China, the snowberry is mostly a decorative garden shrub, but can often be seen in hedgerows as a garden escape and can be invasive. It can grow up to 8 or 9 feet, but is typically around 5 to 6 feet tall. The dark green leaves are opposite and elliptical and the conspicuous waxy white berries are between ½ to 1 inch long and contain two small stone seeds. They're mildly poisonous - containing saponins and chelidonine (C20H19NO5), but a significant quantity would need to be eaten to cause ill effects. They appear in the autumn, and last through most of the winter - due mainly to the fact that nothing wants to eat them.