Snowball Viburnum Bush

Snowball viburnum bushes are hugely versatile in the garden, as long as you give them space to thrive. Snowball viburnum bushes grow to a height and width of six to ten feet, with an attractive, hurricane-glass shape. Use them in groups as hedges, fill in a space around a seating area, or provide privacy for a backyard patio. Just be sure to choose a spot with plenty of room for these beauties, and they'll provide you with gorgeous foliage and pretty, five-to-eight-inch floral clusters that live up to their snowball name.

Viburnums prefer slightly acidic soil, but the snowball variety is fairly adaptable, and one of the tougher viburnums on the market. Add loam or compost to your planting area if you suffer from particularly clay-heavy soil. Snowball viburnum performs best in full sun or minimal shade, so choose a well-draining, sunny space for your viburnum shrub. We recommend planting in a location with six or more hours of sun each day.

Snowball viburnum should be planted in the spring, after all threat of frost has passed. Although viburnum are drought-hardy once established, and can tolerate cold winters, they do need a bit of time to get settled into their space. Spring planting allows you to care for your viburnum with weekly watering through its first year, and allows it to establish good roots before the harsh winter months.

Snowball doesn't need the heavy pruning other varieties of viburnum do, but light pruning can help prevent disease and maintain the shape of the plant. Most gardeners choose to maintain the rounded, natural shape of the viburnum, but these plants are also excellent for use in hedges and you may choose to prune them as such.

Prune your plant just after it flowers, well before the frostier months of fall. If possible, cut branches just above the trunk, as cutting above the node encourages rebranching. Leave the "greener," newer branches at the plant's base, and cut off any dead wood. The oldest shoots actually produce fewer flowers than new branches, so remove those first. Be sure to remove crossed branches and any wood that appears diseased. To keep your snowball viburnum healthy, do not cut off more than one-third of the plant's overall size.

Some viburnum species stay green all year round. But is Snowball one that does? The answer depends on the climate. In southern climates, above zone 7, Snowball Viburnum will remain green all winter long. In more temperate climates, this viburnum variety may function as semi-evergreen. Their foliage turns dark late in the fall, adding a beautiful autumnal color to their display. Their long-staying foliage makes snowball viburnum bushes perfect for privacy screening in warmer climates. And, even in locations where the leaves do not last through fall or winter, snowball viburnum adds plenty of winter interest with its shapely branches and berries.