Viburnum 'European Snowball'

Scott's Nursery Ltd.

$29.99
Title

Evoke a sense of timeless garden charm with the European Snowball Viburnum. This heirloom favourite is famed for its spectacular display of large, globe-shaped flower clusters that resemble fluffy summer snowballs. In late spring, the shrub is nearly hidden beneath a profusion of these 3-inch blooms, which emerge a soft lime green before maturing to a brilliant, pure white. Its lush, maple-like foliage provides a rich green backdrop all summer, only to ignite in a grand finale of burgundy and reddish-purple tones as autumn arrives.

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Plant Details

Mature Size:

10–12' H x 12–15' W

Zone:

3-8

Watering:

Medium

Foliage Type:

Deciduous

Growth Rate:

Moderate

Light:

Full Sun/Part Sun

Plant Profile

Common Names:

European Snowball Bush, Common Snowball, Snowball Tree, Guelder Rose, European Cranberrybush

Scientific Name:

Viburnum opulus 'Roseum'

Type:

Ornamental Deciduous Shrub

Growth Details:

  • Mature Size: Typically 10–12 feet tall and 12–15 feet wide.
  • Growth Habit: Large, bushy, and rounded.
  • Form: Upright-spreading, multi-stemmed mound with arching branches.
  • Growth Rate: Medium.
  • Longevity: Can live for approximately 30 years under ideal conditions.

Environmental Needs:

  • Exposure: Full sun to partial shade; flowering is most profuse in full sun.
  • Soil Preferences: Prefers moist, moderately alkaline, humus-rich loams.
  • Soil Tolerance: Highly adaptable to various soil types, including clay, sand, and acidic or alkaline pH.
  • Watering: Requires average to medium water; does best when soil is kept consistently moist.

Special Features:

Award of Garden Merit (RHS), deer-resistant, and drought-tolerant once established.

Care Guide

Ornamental & Landscape Value

Seasonal Interest:

  • Bloom: Massive, sterile, globe-shaped white flowers in late spring (May/June).
  • Fall Colour: Foliage turns attractive shades of yellow-red, burgundy, or reddish-purple.
  • Bark/Fruit: Being a sterile cultivar, it produces no fruit or berries. Features smooth gray-brown bark.

Garden Value:

A classic choice for specimen planting, tall flowering hedges, or privacy screens. Its showy blooms are also prized as long-lasting cut flowers for floral arrangements.

Wildlife & Human Value:

  • Wildlife Value: Attracts butterflies and bees for nectar in spring.
  • Human Value: Provides excellent privacy screening and serves as a symbolic "talisman" plant in some cultures.

Planting & Care Guide

Planting Considerations:

  • Best Time To Plant: Spring or Fall.
  • Spacing: Plant 12–15 feet apart for individual growth or closer for a dense screen.
  • Location Tips: Dig a hole 2–3 times the width of the root ball; avoid heavy clay-based soil if possible to improve establishment.

Care:

  • Light Requirements: Grows best in full sun to partial shade.
  • Moisture Requirements: Prefers consistent, medium moisture; thrives in well-drained loams but is quite adaptable.
  • Maintenance & Fertilization: Prune as needed immediately after flowering to maintain shape and avoid cutting off next year's buds. Low maintenance overall; apply a general-purpose fertilizer in early spring.

Tolerances:

Cold hardy to Zone 3, adaptable to urban pollution, and somewhat drought tolerant.

Tips For Success:

Apply mulch to retain root moisture and protect from extreme frost in colder zones. Monitor for aphids and viburnum leaf beetles, which can occasionally affect this variety.

Fruit Profile