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Key characteristics

Family: Adoxaceae
Height: 8 to 15 feet
Width: 8 to 15 feet
Flower color: White
Foliage color: Dark green, turning shades of red, purple, and bronze in the fall
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Moist, well-drained soil but can tolerate drought once established.
Maintenance: Low; occasional pruning to maintain shape and remove dead or damaged growth
Growing zone: Hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8
Wildlife: The berries are attractive to birds, making it a valuable plant for wildlife gardens

Shrubs

Viburnum plicatum

Japanese Snowball

Viburnum plicatum is a deciduous shrub admired for its elegant, tiered horizontal branches laden with showy white flowers in spring. Native to Japan, China, and Korea, this shrub has dark green foliage that turns shades of red, purple, and bronze in fall. Blooming in late spring to early summer, typically in May and June, its small white flowers are arranged in flat-topped clusters up to 4 inches across, each with a pom-pom-like appearance.

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Water

Moist, well-drained soil but can tolerate drought once established.

Bloom time

Late spring to early summer

Find this plant

Companion plants

Boxwoods · Dwarf Korean fir · Bergenia · Maiden grass · Snowdrops · Agapanthus

Design tip

Showcase Japanese Snowball where its tiered horizontal branching can be seen in profile rather than crowded by neighboring shrubs. The layered structure creates architectural interest throughout the season and becomes especially dramatic when its branches are lined with white spring flowers.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)