Chinese Snowball Tree Viburnum macrocephalum
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- vih-BUR-num mak-roh-SEF-uh-lum
- Description
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Chinese snowball viburnum is a popular deciduous flowering shrub in the Viburnaceae family. It is native to mainland China and grows up to 25 feet tall and 20 feet wide with a rounded vase-shaped form. The flowers are the largest of the snowball viburnums. It is a hardy shrub from zones 6 through 9.
It prefers moist acidic well-drained soils, tolerant of pruning, and is adaptable to other locations. When pruning, keep in mind that next season's blossoms will appear on new growth.
This shrub produces profuse dome-shaped, rounded, infertile flowers in the spring and some areas produce a flush bloom in the fall. The flowers emerge chartreuse then quickly turn to white and are sterile with no fragrance. The leaves are semi-evergreen in the southernmost growing zones, opposite and pubescent with serrate margins. Since the blooms are sterile, there is no fruit production.
A variety of Viburnum macrocephalum var. keteleeri is found in the wild, and it has both sterile and fertile florets, so sometimes fruits are seen on this plant.
Use this plant as a specimen, in groups, for borders, in foundation plantings, or for informal hedges. It has good disease resistance.
Quick ID Hints:
- rounded, vase-shaped deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub
- dark green, opposite, pubescent leave with serrate margins
- pubescent stems
- dome-shaped, rounded chartreuse blooms that quickly turn white
- infertile, no fruit production
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases.
VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- f. keteleeri
- f. keteleeri
- f. keteleeri
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- f. keteleeri
- f. keteleeri
- f. keteleeri
- Tags:
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-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Viburnum
- Species:
- macrocephalum
- Family:
- Viburnaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- China
- Wildlife Value:
- Mildly resistant to damage by deer. Attracts butterflies.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Dimensions:
- Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Rounded
- Vase
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- 24-60 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Apple green flowers mature to 3 to 8 in. white inflorescences in rounded cymes. Each floret is 1.25 inches wide and sterile. They bloom in the spring, and they may have a flush bloom in the fall in some locations.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves are 2-4 inches long and 1.5-2-inch-wide with an opposite arrangement and are egg-shaped dark green leaves with serrate margins. The undersides of the leaf have star-like hairs.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- The stems are pubescent.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Landscape Theme:
- Cottage Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Diseases