By Gary Wade
University of Georgia
It seldom snows in Georgia, but it’s possible to have warm
snowballs in April and May if you plant Chinese Snowball
viburnum. The mid-spring snowstorm of flowers it provides makes
it easy to see why this striking shrub is the 2006 Georgia Gold
Medal winner for shrubs.
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A large, deciduous shrub, Chinese Snowball viburnum (Viburnum
macrocephalum ‘Sterile’) is hardy in zones 6 to 9 and reaches
heights of 10 to 15 feet with an equal spread.
The showy white flower clusters, up to 8 inches across, look just
like giant snowballs, only without the ice crystals. Landscape
designers say these beauties offer a virtual whiteout of flowers.
It looks best when used as a background plant in the perennial
border or woodland garden. There, it disappears into the winter
landscape, then pops to the foreground in spring to become a
focal point of the landscape.
The flowers of Chinese Snowball come in 1- to 1.5-inch florets
clustered together in a ball-like structure called a cyme. The
flowers emerge green, then gradually fade to pure white.
More color
Eventually, the flowers become light brown, persisting on the
plant for several weeks. Sometimes a second flush of blooms
arrives in late summer. The flowers are commonly cut and used,
both fresh and dried, in floral arrangements.
Chinese Snowball viburnum prefers moist, well-drained soils and
afternoon shade. It’s not drought-tolerant, so it’s vital to
water it during times of limited rainfall to keep it healthy.
The plant flowers on old wood, so don’t prune until after it
flowers. Then prune it as necessary to thin out old branches,
open up the shrub, reduce height or develop a better shape.
You can rejuvenate old plants by cutting them to the ground. They
may not resume flowering, though, for two years after severe
pruning.
Chinese Snowball viburnum is sterile. It doesn’t produce fruits
or seeds. However, it roots easily from summer cuttings.
It’s an easy-to-grow showstopper in the middle of spring. In
short, it’s everything you’d expect a Georgia Gold Medal winner
to be in your landscape.
(Gary Wade is a Cooperative Extension horticulturist with the
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.)
