- USDA Hardiness Zones 6 - 9
- Height: 12 - 15 Feet
- Width: 8 - 12 feet
Chinese Snowball Viburnum, Viburnum macrocephalum, is a beautiful shrub with hydrangea-like flowers to include in your landscape. With a rounded form and a semi-evergreen nature, this shrub blooms in the late spring with large, 8-inch white flowers. They start out with a light green tint, but develop into elegant, snowball-sized flowers. During the other seasons, this shrub has simple green leaves that make it a great backdrop for other plants in the landscape. These are large shrubs that can grow up to 12 feet tall and wide.
The Chinese Snowball Viburnum is native to China, but does excellent in growing zones 6 to 9. These shrubs are great in mass plantings to create backgrounds, borders or hedges. The dark leaves are semi-evergreen in southern regions. Which means that some of the leaves fall off, but some of the foliage is there all year. The flowers are the size of softballs, and the bushes are often covered in the flowers from April through May (depending on where you live).
Chinese Snowball Viburnum Care
Plant this viburnum in moist, well-drained soil. If the soil doesn't drain well, you can notice by looking at the base of the plant after a good rain. If there are puddles, that is a good indication that you should add more dirt around the shrub creating a mound. This should help. We also recommend adding mulch to the base of the plant to help retain moisture and protect the roots during periods of harsh weather. Prevent the shrub from being exposed to cold, drying winds in the winter.
Fertilizing is not required and this plant does not need heavy feeding. Too much fertilizer can harm the plant and promote rotting. If you do choose to fertilize the plant, use a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer designed for woody material. Apply during early spring.
These plants do not produce seeds which means they are a non-invasive plant that is botanically sterile. This also means the plants do not produce fruit like other viburnums will. The flowers are more for show, as they do not have a fragrance to them. The plants are not toxic to pets or humans according to the ASPCA website. However, a mild stomach ache could occur if humans consume any part of the plant.
Pruning Chinese Snowball Viburnum
Be sure to prune after the flowers have died in the early summer. Do this every 3 to 5 years to rejuvenate the plant. Remove the oldest and fattest stems all the way to the ground, which will allow the younger stems to produce the best looking flowers. You can also do light trimming on the plant every year, by lightly shaping the plant and removing any dead branches. Pinch or deadhead spent blooms to help promote new growth.
Chinese Snowball Viburnum Spacing
For an informal hedge or mass planting, space this shrub out at least 18 feet on-center. For a more formal, dense hedge, plant shrubs 12 to 15 feet center-to-center. These require very large garden planters if you choose to grow these in a container, but it can be done if there is good drainage and enough room for the plant to grow.
Chinese Snowball Viburnum Information
| USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-9 |
| Plant Type: Shrub |
| Sunlight Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun |
| Mature Height: 12-15 Feet |
| Mature Width: 8-12 Feet |
| Plant Spacing: 6-10 Feet |
| Growth Habit: Upright |
| Flower Color(s): White |
| Seasonal Interest: Early Summer |
| Foliage Type: Evergreen |
| Foliage Color(s): Green |
| Resists: Deer |
| Features: Cut Flowers, Foliage Interest, Low Maintenance, Native to North America |
| Uses: Border, Cut Flowers, Foundation, Specimen |
| Botanical/Scientific Name: Viburnum macrocephalum 'Sterile' |
- SKU:
- CNSBVIB
Container Sizes
Please Note: The pictures below are to give a general representation of the different container sizes. The actual size/ages of plants are estimates and will vary based on; type of plant, time of year, last pruning & many other factors.
4.5" Pot
Also Known As:
4.5" Container
Plant Age:
~ 6 months
Plant Size:
~ 3"-6"
Pot Size:
~ 4.5"H x 3.75"W
Volume:
1.42 quarts
Quart Pot
Also Known As:
Quart
Plant Age:
~ 6 months - 1 year
Plant Size:
~ 4"-8"
Pot Size:
~ 4.75"H x 4.5"W
Volume:
1.50 quarts
2.5 Quart
Also Known As:
2.5 Quart Pot
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 8"-12"
Pot Size:
~ 6.5"H x 6.5"W
Volume:
2.20-2.30 quarts
#1 Pot
Also Known As:
#1 Container
1 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 10"-14"
Pot Size:
~ 7"H x 7.75"W
Volume:
2.26-3.73 quarts
#2 Pot
Also Known As:
#2 Container
2 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 - 3 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-18"
Pot Size:
~ 9.5"H x 9.5"W
Volume:
1.19-1.76 gallons
#3 Pot
Also Known As:
#3 Container
3 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 2 - 4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-30"
Pot Size:
~9.5"H x 11"W
Volume:
2.32-2.76 gallons
For more detailed information, please click here.
Plant Addicts Guarantee (Included On All Plant Orders)
Plant Addicts always guarantees your plant(s) will arrive happy & healthy. However, plant(s) are being shipped through the mail & sometimes accidents happen. If the plant is dead, has dried out roots or the incorrect item was shipped, just notify Plant Addicts within 3 days upon delivery. We may ask for pictures but will try to make it as easy as possible for you. Please note, plant(s) with damaged branches or wilted leaves will not qualify for this guarantee. Plants are very resilient and will rebound quickly when cared for correctly.
For more information on how to care for your new plants, please click on our guide below.
Guide: How to Care for Your New Plant(s)
Plant Addicts Warranty - 1 Year (Extra Purchase Required)
We encourage all plant lovers to purchase the Plant Addicts Warranty, whether you're a new gardener or an expert. There are many variables outside of anyone's control that can cause a plant to die. Hungry animals, drought, poor soil conditions, over watering, diseases & pests are all good examples of what can cause plants to die. The Plant Addicts Warranty is a 1 year warranty protecting you from all of the unknowns and will replace your plant if something were to happen to it.
The warranty is purchased on a per plant basis and must be purchased at the same time as the plant(s). We will cover 100% of the price of the plant, but the warranty does not cover shipping costs. SImply let us know if your plant has died within 1 year of receiving it and we will get you a new one shipped out as soon as possible (depending on the time of the year and availability). We may ask for photos for documentation purposes, but we try to make the process as easy as possible.
For more information, please click on our page below.
Plant Shipping
Below are some factors we consider when determining when to ship the plants depending on the timing of the order.
Winter to Early Spring
We ship only when it's warm enough to plant in your growing zone.
Sometimes plants aren't completely ready to sell and ship in early spring. We will wait until the plants are ready before shipping so you don't get a subpar product.
For Southern plants we will be able to ship much earlier than plants coming from our northern nursery.
Summer
If there is extreme heat we may delay shipping for a week or several weeks.
We review what areas the plants are traveling through as well as your location.
Fall into Winter
We’ll ship plants out all the way up to the end of the fall planting season!
Winter
Get your order in early to reserve your plants for Spring planting!
Once your plant is shipped you’ll receive an automated email with tracking information.
Click here for more detailed shipping information.
Planter Shipping
Standard Colors: 2-3 business days
Special Order Colors: 8 weeks - this is due to the planter being custom made with the color(s) of your choice
Please Note: On special orders there can not be any cancellations