Fast growing and low maintenance shrubs your garden needs this spring.
Happy Wednesday! Has Spring arrived in your neck of the woods? We’ve been in a state of ‘weather whiplash’ lately with rain, blustery winds, hail, freeze warnings, a tornado watch and 80 degree temperatures. . . all in one week! I’m thankful that the only snowballs I’ve seen with this crazy spring weather are the ones that are blooming!
Chinese Snowball Viburnum’s hydrangea-like blooms start out a soft spring green, changing over to cream and transitioning to white. It grows in zones 6 – 9 with a mature height and spread of 6 – 10 feet. It blooms on old wood, so you want to prune or shape soon after it finishes blooming. It’s wonderfully low maintenance, easy to grow and thrives in full or partial sun. If you don’t know your gardening zone, you can find a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and search by zip code, here. We’re in zone 7b in our area of North Carolina.
Doublefile Viburnum is another low maintenance beauty. . . plant her a sunny spot, give her plenty of room and watch her grow!
It’s hard to tell from my photo but she’s as wide or wider than tall, growing to 8 – 10 feet in height and matures to 15 – 20 feet wide.
The blooms grow out horizontally on the branches and resemble lace-cap hydrangeas.
Our Doublefile Viburnum is a ‘Shasta’ variety and receives full sun and grows in USDA zones 5 – 9.
Bridal Wreath Spirea has been beautiful this year! The graceful arching branches and have an old-fashioned appeal and look of a cottage garden.
It blooms best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade.
Prune or shape your bridal wreath immediately after it blooms. Cut back a third of the canes, preferably the oldest and tallest, all the way to the ground to preserve the shrub’s naturally arching shape.
It’s a fast grower and is hardy in USDA zones 4 – 8 with a height of 5 – 9 feet and mature spread of 6 – 8 feet.
We planted another snowball viburnum by my Potting Shed two years ago.
It has been blooming with white snowballs for the first time this spring!
I highly recommend you plant a snowball viburnum if you have room in your landscape!
♥ Keep Calm and Garden On ♥
DIY Hand Stamped Garden Markers tutorial, here.
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Metamorphosis Monday
I live in zone 5b and have Viburnum and it thrives here no problem. Love it too
Finally have a Snowball Viburnum which has gotten big enough to really make a statement. Love this shrub and also planted two doublefile and a summer snow viburnum. Find I have an affinity for white flowers and love to use them outside as well as for inside arrangements.
This N.C. Spring has certainly been a challenge. Our prayers for the victims of the Tornado here in Greensboro. Fortunately we were spared any damage.
Lovely. Its still in the 30’s here in MA and it snowed a couple of days ago! Bring on the sunshine and warm weather!
I was able to secure a cutting from my Grandmother’s snowball bush many years ago. It is a special treasure foe me. I think it is the prettiest it has ever been this year.
Looking forward to Floral Friday.
Gorgeous! ‘Weather whiplash’ is a great way to refer to this crazy spring weather. Thanks for sharing these beautiful white blooms this morning!
The white blooms on these plants are so refreshing to see….might have to discover a spot or two in my landscape for a couple of them, although it is difficult to choose. They must be hardy plants to have survived the brutal weather in your area…enjoy the ‘show’ that those girls are giving now.
Very pretty, all three plants featured. We have snowflake viburnum variety in our landscape, now 14 yrs old. We trim them as a hedge on the outer edge of our property, against the rail part of our fence. They grow quickly each year and provide privacy from neighbors. ;)
One of the reasons I bought this beautiful plant bc of the ability to block out the nosey neighbors
So happy to see your beautiful blooms. Glad they survived our unpredictable temps. Love all the white.
I feel a trip to the garden center in my future! Thanks for all the info and beautiful white blooms!
Mary, I’ve always loved bridalwreath spirea, it brings back memories of my grandmother’s beautiful garden. Thanks for sharing your pretty flowers.
I always admire your gorgeous white blooms. I would love to add a snowflake viburnum. Need to investigate that for our garden. The bridalwreath is also a favorite. I had one at our previous home. Should add one here. Enjoy a beautiful spring.
Those white blooms are gorgeous! I’ll have to do some research to see if Viburnum will grow in my SoCal climate. We don’t get hard freezes, but it gets pretty hot in the summer.
Oh Mary, it must be wonderful to live in a garden! I love all the white blooms and always look forward to Floral Friday!
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Everything is gorgeous!!! We could make real snowballs here yesterday, but today is supposed to be Spring again! Love to Gracie.
Such a beautiful post and white flowers! I NEED a Snowball Viburnum…or two! Thanks for sharing 🌷🌸🌱🐝🌿🌞
Bonsoir Mary très belles photos printanières ca fait du bien…ici aussi le printemps est la. .il a fait aujourd’hui 28 degrés !!! C est agréable…bonne soirée
Such pretty flowering shrubs! I have a spirea that has pinkish blossoms, but would also like a bridal wreath. All my full sun spots are taken and have almost full shade in the rest of the back yard, so I don’t think it would work.☹ All of your shrubs are beautiful Mary. Enjoy your spring, we are still waiting for ours, (sniff sniff).
Mary, oh the beauty of white blooms! I must plant a bridal wreath spirea. I have always loved them. My snowballs are beginning to look spent! They are truly a wonderful shrub to plant.
We have a “pale pink” viburnum and it was “loaded” this year. Since the wind was so awful I cut some branches to “force” indoors…just the hint of fragrance. It is truly a delight!! franki
I was encouraged to read it has taken your snowball bush 2 years to present blooms of any merit. I planted mine last year. It has 2 blooms this year. Hoping for “a show” next year. I also have Doublefile viburnums and love them. They put on a show this time of year.
The photos of your shrubs are just outstanding! I planted spirea at our previous home and need to do the same here.
Beautiful Snowball Viburnum as are all the others! You must have the riht conditions and care for growing all those beauties! Love them all!
Very pretty Mary! All of the early bloomers were teased out here by two 80 degree days and then Mother Nature played a nasty trick and got ugly again. I know I say this every year, but I’m ready for some nice weather:@)
Thank you for this post!! This is my year to get a SNOWBALL Bush!! I have wanted one for years and I’m getting, at least, one maybe more..I just live them! We are still dealing with snow (not measurable just annoying) freezing temps, hopefully, today will be the end…I pity the sales clerks at the garden centers when it finally stays warm..the centers will be under attack!! Am soooooooo ready for good weather!! 🌼🌸🌺🌻🌷🌹💐🌾🍄
Swoon! Thank you for all your posts, they’re always gorgeous & inspiring. How long do the blooms last on the snowball bush and how much sun does it require?
Hi thank you! It blooms
Best in full sun so I’d guess 6 hours or more a day. The blooms last at least two weeks or longer!
Your white blossoms are so gorgeous, Mary!!! I’ve always admired your snowballs, and all the other pretty white blossoms. I wish I had room to plant some. I have an oak leaf hydrangea, and the poor thing’s leaves were damaged during our last hailstorm. We are do for more rain this weekend, but hopefully, the hail will stay away. I did find the copper plant markers at Target, which will be fun to stamp on.
Thank you for the beauty, Mary!
Mary, I have total viburnum envy! We have one in the back garden, but ours has no leaves, only tiny flowers. I ‘ve heard my head gardener threaten to take it out….yours is beautiful! Does my heart good to see those gorgeous green flowers. Xo Lidy
Fun to SEE your post, it loaded like silk this morn, I have catching up to do!!! Love white gardens, I just planted 16 bridal veils and snowballs last week, look forward to gorgeous white hedges in the years to come. The water really sets off your blooms :-)
Mary, These blooms are indeed the best type of “snowball” to have! Your bushes must love their locations as they are all thriving so beautifully and your photos are spectacular too. I have three viburnum which are on their third summer and are struggling. I thought maybe they weren’t getting enough sun, but as yours took a few years to bloom I will await our bloom time hopefully. So far just daffodils here but it is sunny today! Linda
All are beautiful, Mary. Our neighbors have spirea that cascades over a rock retaining wall, and I get to enjoy the beauty from our kitchen window.
They are indeed spectacular!!! I keep wishing over my little shrub hoping it would bloom….no signs yet, so I think old man winter that appeared in the Spring got to the little buds. This gorgeous shrub must be such a showpiece in your garden…
I have to tell you – I saw a Snowball Viburnum at the Dallas Arboretum in full bloom a few weeks ago and was overwhelmed by the beauty. Thank you for reminding me that I have to plant one asap. We actually have room in our new yard for something big like that to shine and it would be such a welcome sight in the springtime. Thanks for the reminder!
So glad you joined the garden party. Mark your calendar for the next one on May 25th. :)
So beautiful! Many of my favorite bushes. My Snowball and Bridal Wreath have not bloomed yet. Can’t wait!! Thanks for sharing with the Garden Party.
hugs,
Jann
Hi I have beautiful white snowball bushes that used to have very white full blooms all summer long. However the last 2 years they are still blooming but now are pale green, not white. Is there anything I can do to get back the snow white color?