Viburnum macrocephalum (Chinese snowball viburnum)

Viburnum macrocephalum Photo/Illustration: Erica Glasener



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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Botanical Name: Viburnum macrocephalum vy-BURN-um mak-roe-SEF-ah-lum Common Name: Chinese snowball viburnum Genus: Viburnum
This semi-evergreen or evergreen shrub has a rounded form. In late spring, it bears flower clusters—sometimes up to 8 inches wide—that start out chartreuse and turn pure white. Dark green leaves are semi-evergreen in southern states, where it can grow to 20 feet high and 15 feet wide.
Care: Provide moist but well-drained soil. Shelter from cold, drying winds.
Propagation: Take greenwood cuttings in summer.
Problems: Viburnum beetle, gray mold (Botrytis), rust, downy mildew, powdery mildew, wood rot, Verticillium wilt, leaf spots, and dieback. Aphids, scale insects, weevils, Japanese beetles, mealybugs, and tree hoppers.
Height 10 ft. to 15 ft.
Spread 10 ft. to 15 ft.
Light Full Sun to Part Shade
Moisture Medium Moisture
Maintenance Low
Characteristics Showy Flowers
Bloom Time Late Spring
Flower Color Green Flower; White Flower
Uses Beds and Borders
Style Woodland Garden
Seasonal Interest Spring Interest
Type Shrubs

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