Viburnum x carlcephalum – Fragrant Snowball Viburnum

Viburnum x carlcephalum is a large shrub with strong, characterful growth and very fragrant flowers. The flowering display creates bright white, perfectly round panicles, earning its name ‘Snowball Viburnum’. The flowers spring from small pink buds, giving them a two tone effect at the start of the display.

In the autumn, small red berries appear and the leaves change to a crimson/purple colour. The berries aren’t particularly attractive but they are enjoyed by birds. Although I wouldn’t recommend eating them yourself as ingestion can cause an upset stomach!

Aside from having great spring and autumn interest, Viburnum x carlcephalum grow slightly irregularly, with sharp forks in the branches. We aim to accentuate this through pruning by clearing the bottom and revealing each shrub’s natural shape. They’re slow growing and rarely exceed 2-3m in height so they’re great for smaller gardens where space is limited.