With the exception of the Chinese coralberry, S. sinensis, which is indigenous to western China, all species are native to North and Central America.

[5] Snowberry plants are most commonly found low-to mid elevations, in forests, dry or moist openings, rocky hillsides or near riverbanks and streams.

[5] Snowberry plants are also able to grow in a wide range of acidic and basic pHs and sunlight conditions.

The fruit is conspicuous, 1–2 cm (0.5–1 in) in diameter, soft, varying from white (e.g. S. albus) to pink (S. microphyllus) to red (S. orbiculatus) and in one species (S. sinensis), blackish purple.

Ingesting the berries causes mild symptoms of vomiting, dizziness, and slight sedation in children.

It is also a useful landscaping plant due to its extreme versatility—tolerating sun, shade, heat, cold, drought, and inundation.

Due to their low saponin content, snowberry was a common medicinal treatment used by several North American Indigenous tribes.

[12] Its berries were used for a number of applications including as an eyewash, as an antiperspirant, a diarrhea remedy, and was also rubbed on the skin as a treatment for burns, rashes, warts, sores, cuts and other external wounds.

[12] Snowberry stems were boiled and their essence was extracted to be used for stomach problems, menstrual pain, and as a soap.

[12] Snowberry bark was also boiled, its essence extracted and used to treat sexually transmitted diseases and urinary dysfunction issues.