The snowball genus includes more than 100 different species. Depending on who you ask, you may also be told the number of 200 different species. They all belong to the musk herb family.
The bay-leaved snowball is one of the most well-known types of snowball
What types of snowball are there?
The snowball is an important food source for native birds. Its small red fruits remain on the bush well into winter. However, not all birds like the viburnum and it is even slightly poisonous to humans. If you have a small child in the house, you might wait a few more years before planting a snowball.
The scented snowball is also very interesting with its intense sweet scent. Korean scented viburnum, Latin Viburnum carlesii, has crimson-pink buds while the flowers lighten in color as they mature, eventually turning all white.
The peculiarity of the wrinkled snowball lies in the large oval leaves, which can grow up to 20 cm long. They are hairy on the underside, so keep that in mind when pruning this plant as the hairs can irritate the respiratory tract. The flowers are cream-colored, the fruits first red, but then turn black.
Should I plant the snowball alone or in a group?
Particularly unusual types of viburnum certainly come into their own as a solitary plant. In principle, the snowball is also suitable for planting in combination with brightly flowering perennials or with rhododendrons and lilacs. Densely growing species are also suitable for planting a hedge. This applies in particular to evergreen varieties.
Interesting types of snowball:
- True double viburnum: spherical inflorescences, no fruit
- Woolly viburnum: hairy leaves
- Bodnant or Winter Snowball: blooms pink in winter
- Scented snowball: intense sweet scent
- Laurel snowball: blooms from November to April
tips
When choosing a suitable snowball bush, you decide according to your needs according to the flowering time, the bush size, suitability as a hedge plant or the scent of the flowers.