Snowball viburnum or guelder-rose is a very beautiful shrub, much appreciated in our gardens for its appealing blooming.
Main snowball facts summary
Name – Viburnum opulus
Family – Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle family)
Type – shrub
Height – 6 ½ to 16 feet (2 to 5 meters)
Exposure – full sun or part shade
Soil – ordinary, well drained
Foliage – deciduous
Flowering – April to June
Planting, caring for it and pruning contribute a lot to the proper growth of the snowball viburnum.
Preferably in fall or spring for specimens purchased in pots or in containers.
For the first few years after planting, feel free to water now and then to ensure proper settling in and guarantee the growth of the shrub.
To multiply your viburnum, wait for the end of summer and prepare cuttings from semi-hardened wood, or simply perform layering.
It isn’t really a requirement to prune.
Wait for the blooming to end if you wish to reduce or reshape the shrub.
The ‘Snowball‘ viburnum, also called guelder-rose, is a very beautiful shrub which has a blooming as magnificent in spring as its foliage is in fall.
As part of a flowered hedge, as a standalone or in shrub beds, its growing and maintenance is easy.
Also part of the Viburnum family is laurestine or Viburnum tinus which is often found in our gardens, as well as ‘Watanabe’ doublefile Japanese snowball which has a blooming that lasts for a very long time, from May to October.
Avoid locations that are too exposed to harsh sun.
