Woody > Viburnum > Viburnum opulus > Viburnum opulus 'Roseum'
Viburnum opulus
'Roseum'
European Snowball Bush, Snowball Viburnum
Origin: A classic cultivar, Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’, originally called Viburnum opulus ‘Sterile’, was first brought into cultivation in sometime in the 16th century in Holland.
Mike's
Opinion
"
V. opulus ‘Roseum’ has quite a misleading name. “Roseum” implies this cultivar has red or pink flowers, however the flower is a lovely white cream colour. It is said that as this cultivar nears the end of its flowering period, the inflorescences will turn a slight shade of pink. I have never observed this, instead I have only observed the flowers turning a mucky yellow colour before falling off the shrub. V. opulus ‘Roseum’ is a beautiful shrub that gives me a sense of nostalgia; my grandmother’s house has a large snowball bush that has been established for well over 50 years. Growing up my cousins and I would look forward to “snowball” fights in the back yard every spring. The inflorescences have a very pleasant fragrance, appearing as a beautiful, bright apple green in May, turning to a lovely, white cream colour and leaving the surrounding area scattered with dainty petals before completely falling off. Overall, this is a beautiful shrub, adding great spring value to a landscape. Once the flowering period has past, this shrub tends to become unnoticeable, fading into the background with its dense, green foliage. Interest returns as autumn arrives, and the leaves start to turn lovely reds and purples. It is very low maintenance, and it needs little to no pruning to remain full and healthy. It is fairly large, and room should be given so it can reach its true potential. While speaking to my grandmother about the Snowball Bush, it was mentioned that at one point it seemed everyone had a Snowball Bush in their garden. Knowing how low maintenance and showy this shrub is, it is no wonder it has been in cultivation for centuries. It seems a shame, however, that it has lost its popularity in recent years.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Adoxaceae |
| Genus |
| Viburnum |
| Species |
| opulus |
| Cultivar |
| 'Roseum' |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| Synonyms |
| Viburnum opulus ‘Sterile’ |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 3 - 8 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 1b - 8a |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H4 - H7 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| (-40) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| (-40) |
| Height |
| 3 - 4 m |
| Spread |
| 3 - 4.5 m |
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Is a large, rounded form, deciduous shrub with arching branches and vibrant green leaves that turn purple and red in autumn. It has large 5 – 10 cm inflorescences located at the ends of branches, made up of small cream-white flowers. The inflorescences are similar in shape and size to snowballs. Branches are grey and glabrous. |
| Landscape |
| Is an heirloom cultivar used in gardens since the 16th century. It can be used as a specimen as it has a massive show of beautiful, cream-white flowers in the spring, with the added novelty of the inflorescence being very “snowball” like. It is a very large shrub and looks very impressive as a standalone specimen. Other uses include an informal hedge, privacy screen, back of a border or a country garden. After the amazing show of flowers in the Spring, this shrub turns into a great backdrop for a garden as it is a very full bush with nice foliage. V. opulus ‘Roseum’ has some autumn interest as the leaves turn a purplish red before they fall. |
| Cultivation |
| Prefers full sun but can be grown in partial shade. It will, however, have a more impressive show of flowers if grown in full sun. A fairly low maintenance shrub, it prefers moist, but well drained soil. Fortunately, Snowball Bushes are tolerant of a wide array of soil types. Old growth should be pruned out after the shrub has flowered. Even without annual pruning, the Snowball Bush can remain healthy and reach a height of 4.3 m. When the Snowball Bush is well established, it is fairly drought resistant. The Snowball Bush can thrive for upward of a reported 40 years when well cared for. It should be noted, however, the snowball bush that resides on my own property has been well established and thriving for an estimated 55 years and shows no sign of decline. This is a hardy, easy to grow shrub. |
| Shape |
| A multi-stemmed, large deciduous shrub with arching branches. Upright and spreading, the form is round and leggy with about 30 cm of space between the ground and foliage. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| ID Characteristic |
| A large, upright, round shrub. Has large 5 – 8 cm inflorescences made of upwards of 100 small, cream-white flowers, similar in appearance to snowballs at the ends of branches. Small, up to 5 cm long palmate leaves are similar in appearance to maple leaves in opposite arrangement. A vibrant shade of green, the leaves turn a purple red colour in Autumn. Unlike the straight species, this cultivar does not produce fruit. |
| Pests |
| V. opulus ‘Roseum’ suffers from few pest and disease problems. Viburnum leaf beetle can a problem, if an infestation is detected it should be delt with swiftly. Viburnum leaf beetle eats the foliage of the shrub, creating a skeletonized pattern on the leaves. Allowing an infestation to go unchecked can result in the shrub unable to properly photosynthesize, leading to the shrub to decline, ultimately resulting in death of the shrub. V. opulus ‘Roseum’ is occasionally affected by aphids and Viburnum crown borer, which can cause upper stem die back. The Snowball Bush has some susceptibility to bacterial leaf spot, stem blight, and powdery mildew. In recent years, I have noticed some foliage damage from the Japanese beetle, although not significant. |
| Habitat |
| Horticultural origin. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| New growth is glabrous and grey-brown with a slight waxy coating. As the bark matures, it becomes a more consistent grey. The lenticles become more visible and raised, lenticles on young branches are round. More mature branches have elongated, oval longitudinally lenticles. Mature growth is a warmer grey, with slight furrows. Mature branches have a noticeable pith. The bark is thin. V. opulus ‘Roseum’ is a multi-stemmed shrub, and the twigs are fine and whorled. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Leaf buds are small, about 5 mm long and 2 mm wide, with a rounded, pointed tip. The buds are smooth, light burgundy in colour, and arranged oppositely. Leaf buds emerge from thin crescent leaf scars. |
| Leaf Description |
| Leaves are 5 cm – 10 cm in length and width and rough in texture. A bright green during the growing season, turning a lovely purple red colour in autumn. Leaves are palmate in shape and venation, opposite in arrangement. Lobes are acuminate, edges are lightly serrate, and the base is rounded. Petioles are red in colour and less than 1 cm with 2 small stipuliform appendages on each side above the base. |
| Flower Description |
| Flowering occurs in late May to June for a period of 20 to 35 days. Flowers appear in large 5 – 10 cm, round inflorescence located at the end of branches, and made up of upwards of 100 small cream-white flowers. Flowers form first as a very bright, apple green and turn a beautiful, cream-white colour. Individual flowers that make up the inflorescence are quite small, with 5 dainty petals and no noticeable pistol. The inflorescences have the appearance of snowballs, hence the common name. Flowers are often used in arrangements as they are quite stunning. They are also a fun novelty as they are large, soft, and fun to throw at unsuspecting friends. The cultivar is named ‘Roseum’ as it is said that at the end of the flowering period, the flowers may turn a slight pink. I, however, have only observed the flowers turning a mucky yellow colour. |
| Fruit Description |
| This cultivar is sterile and bares no fruit. |
| Colour Description |
| Has a vibrant, green colour during growing season with large, cream-white, globous inflorescence flowers in May to June. Inflorescences turn a mucky yellow colour before they fall. Leaves change to a purple red colour in autumn. |
| Texture Description |
| The medium texture of the foliage during the growing season covers the coarse texture of the messy, arching limbs that is apparent in Winter. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Missouri Botanical Gardens, St. Louis, Missouri, United States. |
| Propagation |
| As V. opulus ‘Roseum’ is a sterile cultivar it must be propagated through cutting. Cuttings can be either softwood or hardwood. Although softwood cuttings taken in Spring to mid-Summer tend to root easier than hardwood cuttings taken in the autumn. A 10 - 15 cm cutting should be taken with a sharp, sterile instrument and kept moist until put into a moist growing medium using a mix of 1-part peat and 1-part perlite. Leaves and buds should be removed from the bottom third of the cutting. Rooting hormone can be used to improve root growth. It is best to take cuttings in the morning. After being put into a growing medium, the cuttings should be kept in a warm, sunny environment to ensure maximum success in propagation. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Aside from the “snowballs” being a novelty item in the garden, this cultivar has no ethnobotanical uses. The fruit from Viburnum opulus has anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties, but as this is a sterile cultivar with no fruit, this is not applicable. |
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