Viburnum Snowball: A Fragrant Shrub For Your Garden?

The snowball bush viburnum is a large, rounded, deciduous shrub with dark oval green leaves that turn reddish-purple in the fall. It blooms in early spring, from April to May, with fragrant, white clusters that attract bees, butterflies and songbirds. The flowers have a spicy-sweet fragrance with hints of clove. However, not all snowball viburnums are fragrant. The Chinese snowball viburnum, for example, is fragrance-free.

The snowball viburnum blooms in early spring, from April to May

The Chinese snowball viburnum (Viburnum macrocephalum 'Sterile') is a hybrid with fragrance-free flowers. However, the Dwarf snowball bush viburnum ‘Compactum’ and ‘Conoy’ varieties are good options for smaller spaces and have fragrant white flowers in spring.

The Viburnum Spice Cowboy™ Snowball Bush is another variety with highly fragrant flowers that perfume the air with a spicy-sweet scent. This variety matures to between 6 and 10 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide.

Viburnum × carlcephalum, also known as Fragrant Snowball, blooms later than most viburnums. It is a large, rounded, deciduous shrub with dark oval green leaves that turn a beautiful reddish-purple in the fall.

The flowers have a spicy-sweet fragrance with hints of clove

The snowball viburnum is a large, rounded, deciduous shrub with dark oval green leaves that turn reddish-purple in the fall. It blooms later than most viburnums, from April to May. The flowers have a spicy-sweet fragrance with hints of clove. The shrub can grow to between 6 and 10 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide. It is typically grown for its flowers, which are borne in large clusters and look like giant snowballs. The flowers are highly fragrant, perfuming the air with a spicy-sweet scent.

The snowball viburnum is also known as the Viburnum × carlcephalum (Fragrant Snowball) and the Viburnum Spice Cowboy™ Snowball Bush. It is a Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs variety. The shrub has an upright habit and a fast growth rate. In the fall, its seasonally green foliage takes on brilliant orange-red hues.

The snowball viburnum blooms in early spring. Light pink buds form and bloom into fragrant, white clusters that attract bees, butterflies, and songbirds. The showy, 4- to 5-inch snowball-shaped flowers have a spicy-sweet fragrance with hints of clove. Too much shade can reduce flowering. Pruning nearby trees to open up sunlight can help. Another major reason for non-flowering is improper pruning. Viburnums bloom on old wood, so if a shrub is pruned too early in the spring or too late in the fall, it will not produce spring blooms. Always prune this shrub immediately after it has flowered.

There are fragrance-free varieties of the snowball viburnum

However, there are also fragrant varieties of the snowball viburnum. The Viburnum × carlcephalum (Fragrant Snowball) is a large, rounded, deciduous shrub with dark oval green leaves that turn a beautiful reddish-purple in the fall. The Viburnum Spice Cowboy™ Snowball Bush is another variety known for its fragrant flowers, which have a spicy-sweet scent.

The snowball viburnum blooms in early spring, from April to May. Light pink buds form and bloom into fragrant, white clusters that attract bees, butterflies, and songbirds. The showy, 4- to 5-inch snowball-shaped flowers have a spicy-sweet fragrance with hints of clove.

Dwarf snowball bush viburnum ‘Compactum’ and ‘Conoy’ varieties are good options for smaller spaces. ‘Compactum’ (Viburnum tinus 'Compactum) grows in a rounded habit at 4 feet tall and wide with fragrant white flowers in spring and blue berries in the fall. ‘Conoy’ (Viburnum x burkwoodi 'Conoy') is a compact evergreen variety that grows 5 feet tall and 9 feet wide with white 3-inch flower clusters.

The Viburnum × carlcephalum (Fragrant Snowball) blooms later than most viburnums

The snowball viburnum is known for its fragrant flowers, which bloom in early spring, from April to May. The light pink buds form and bloom into fragrant, white clusters that attract bees, butterflies, and songbirds. The showy, 4- to 5-inch snowball-shaped flowers have a spicy-sweet fragrance with hints of clove. The fragrance is so delightful that it has been described as "perfuming the air".

However, not all varieties of snowball viburnum are fragrant. For example, the Chinese snowball viburnum (Viburnum macrocephalum 'Sterile') has fragrance-free flowers. This hybrid grows 6 to 10 feet tall and wide in USDA zones 6-9. It produces white flowers with huge 3- to 8-inch round clusters, but these flowers do not have a scent.

If you are looking for a fragrant variety of snowball viburnum, the Viburnum Spice Cowboy™ Snowball Bush is a great option. This attractive shrub is known for its highly fragrant flowers, which have a spicy-sweet scent. The Viburnum Spice Cowboy™ can be grown as a large deciduous shrub or trained as a small tree, making it a versatile addition to any landscape.

Overall, the Viburnum × carlcephalum (Fragrant Snowball) is a beautiful and fragrant option for those who want to enjoy the snowball viburnum without having to wait as long for it to bloom. Its late blooming time, combined with its fragrant flowers, makes it a unique and desirable shrub for any garden.

The Viburnum Spice Cowboy™ Snowball Bush is a variety with highly fragrant flowers

The Spice Cowboy is a Viburnum carlesii species, commonly called the snowball bush or Koreanspice viburnum. It is a deciduous shrub that can mature to between 6 and 10 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide. It has an upright habit and a fast growth rate, making it a great option for those looking for a versatile and attractive shrub.

While the Viburnum Spice Cowboy™ Snowball Bush is a fragrant variety, it is important to note that not all snowball viburnums have a fragrance. For example, the Chinese snowball viburnum (Viburnum macrocephalum 'Sterile') is a hybrid that produces fragrance-free white flowers. On the other hand, the Viburnum × carlcephalum (Fragrant Snowball) is a large, rounded, deciduous shrub that, as its name suggests, produces fragrant flowers.

To ensure your snowball viburnum blooms with fragrant flowers, proper pruning is essential. Viburnums bloom on old wood, so pruning too early in the spring or too late in the fall can reduce flowering. Always prune your shrub immediately after it has flowered to encourage healthy growth and fragrant blooms in the following spring.

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