Snowball Viburnum - Viburnum opulus Roseum

The Viburnum opulus 'Roseum' commonly known as the Snowball Tree is a tall and charming bush that is very easy to grow and can be planted in any type of garden. The flowers bloom abundantly in the middle of spring, gracefully bending its branches. Its white ball-shaped flowers, sometimes tinged with pink, have made this unpretentious plant very popular. It is also valued for its magnificent autumn colours.

The Viburnum opulus, sometimes called the guelder rose, water elder, or sapwood depending on the region, is a deciduous shrub native to Europe and North Africa. It belongs to the caprifoliaceae family, like honeysuckle and shares with it a preference for moist soils, even growing in marshes, at an altitude below 1600 m. The cultivar 'Roseum', known since the 16th century, is distinguished by its more decorative spherical flowerheads. This well-branched shrub grows rapidly, reaching an average height of 3.50 m (9.8 ft) with a spread of 3 m (9.8 ft). Its foliage is deciduous in winter. Each leaf, 8 to 12 cm (4.7 in) long, slightly downy, is divided into 3 to 5 acute lobes with serrated margins. Initially light green, it will turn yellow, orange, and reddish wine color at the end of the season before falling off. Flowering occurs in May-June, in the form of spherical corymbs measuring 6 to 10 cm (3.9 in) in diameter; they are compound, just like in hydrangeas, with larger sterile florets surrounding a central disk of fertile florets in the shape of buttons, which are invisible here. The flowers are nectar and pollen-rich. The fruit is decorative, taking the form of bright red round berries, measuring 1 cm (0.4 in) in diameter, very popular with birds.

The Snowball Tree is a very hardy plant that is not demanding, preferring moist to wet soil. It thrives in sunny or semi-shaded locations and grows well in any soil, even chalk and clay. It can be used as a focal point in small gardens, as hedges, or in flower beds in larger gardens. In a hedge, it can be combined with various shrubs chosen for their autumn foliage (spindle tree, winged spindle, smoke bush, oakleaf hydrangea, Physocarpus), their spring flowering (mock orange, deutzia, lilac, Canadian serviceberry), or for their attractive fruiting (chokeberries, beautyberries, snowberries, Chinese quince...). Its graceful flowers can also be used in spring bouquets.