Viburnum, European Cranberry Viburnum, European Snowball Bush, Guelder Rose 'Roseum'

On May 12, 2019, Rickwebb from Downingtown, PA wrote:

This European Snowball Cranberrybush Viburnum is an old-fashioned shrub that was used more in the late 1800's to the mid-1900's, but I still see it occasionally mostly in average yards as a single specimen, but sometimes in professional landscapes as a group, in the Midwestern and Eastern USA. A few conventional nurseries and some cheap mail order nurseries sell it. I think it was discovered in Europe in the 1500's. Its large white rounded flower clusters are composed only of the showy sterile florets, no small fertile florets, so there are no stamens, pistils, nectar, pollen, or fruit (red drupes). It is a pretty shrub. It is subject to aphid infestations some years.

On Jun 25, 2007, michellemarie from Calgary,
Canada wrote:

I aquired a snowball bush about 3 years ago on the recommendation of my local garden centre. After a few small flowers the first year it became apparent that this was an aphid magnet! It was very nearly destroyed last year. This year I dilligently treated it with Safer soap every few days and was rewarded with an astounding display of gorgeous flower clusters. Quite a bit of maintenance but well worth the glorious display.

On Apr 27, 2007, Lhouselover from Arley, AL (Zone 7a) wrote:

A friend gave me a small one about 6", 2 years ago and now it is about 4' tall. My hubby LOVES it and when I trimmed it back last year, I stuck some of the limbs in the ground and now have about 5 or 6 small ones growing and 3 of them had a very tiny bloom on it already this spring and they are ready to move to a new location. SO easy to grow and it usually blooms at end of spring and again later in the summer.

On Apr 17, 2006, berrygirl from Braselton, GA (Zone 8a) wrote:

This is a very beautiful care-free plant.

On Apr 8, 2005, Charlotteda from Pickens, SC (Zone 7a) wrote:

I remember this plant from my Grannys garden. She let hers grow into a small tree. I keep mine in bush form :)

On May 19, 2004, eclipsed21 from Kingston, NY wrote:

We bought a house in NY in the dead of winter, and were pleased when this "bush" started blooming this spring. Even though the bloom time is listed as mid summer, it was COVERED with white "snow balls" the second week of May. I clipped some, and kept them on the kitchen table for a week before they started dropping tiny blooms. My only sadness, this bush has zero smell.

On May 15, 2004, blondiebri from Coeur D Alene, ID wrote:

APHIDS are the only problem with this plant. I would appreciate any info on getting rid of these nuisances. Otherwise I love it! We have it planted next to a Japanese Maple and it looks lovely. I keep it trimmed down to maintain the desired height of the bed, two - three feet.

On Nov 6, 2003, Mule from North Little Rock, AR wrote:

Bought this plant about three years ago. In 2002 it had some blooms and was growing tall so I topped it at about seven feet. In the spring of 2003 it had 40 big snowballs that were so heavy that I had to tied them to a stake. Now, in November 2003 the plant has grown to about 15' and has some flat top blooms on the tips of some of the branches. I hope this late season blooming doesn't take away from the snowballs next spring. Has anyone had experience with this replant reblooming in the fall?

On Aug 2, 2003, suncatcheracres from Old Town, FL wrote:

This plant looks exactly like a plant from my childhood we called "Snowball" bush. The plants grew in my Grandmother's and my Aunt's sandy yards in Southcentral Georgia, near Macon, and when in full bloom their arching branches were so covered in blossoms that the flowers' weight brought the branches down to the ground.

I have been trying to find a specimen of this plant for years, but am having difficulty identifying it because it could also be Viburnum carlcephalum, the "Fragrant Snowball," which is about six to 10 feet tall, with fragrant, long lasting flowers in Spring.

In the late 1990's I found a huge old Snowball bush living vitrually neglected at an old homesite that had been turned into a trailer park in the outskirts of Macon, Georgia, and tried t... read moreo take tip cuttings, but wasn't successful.

'Roseum,' which is a sterile variety of Viburnum opulus, the European Cranberry Bush, is noted for its arching branches, so I think at this point I would be happy to have either one growing in my Northcentral Florida, zone 8b yard.

Viburnums are a large, diverse group of bushes and some small trees especially beloved in the Southern USA. There are both native and imported species, and there are even some small, specialty plant nurseries in the Atlanta, Georgia area that only grow viburnums.