Green Alder vs Snowball Viburnum - TreeTime.ca

Green Alder vs Snowball Viburnum

Viburnum opulus roseum

Alnus alnobetula subsp. crispa

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(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Snowball Viburnum
Green Alder

Snowball Viburnum is a popular ornamental shrub with prolific flowering. This plant is prized for its round clusters of white flowers that resemble snowballs, delighting children and adults. In fall, its leaves turn vibrant shades of red.

Snowball Viburnum is sought after as a single accent shrub, but can also make a dense hedge or privacy screen.

Green Alder is a native, cold-hardy shrub found in boreal forests, along slopes, and in open upland habitats. It fixes nitrogen in the soil, improving fertility and helping other plants grow, while its roots help stabilize slopes and disturbed ground. Fast to establish on poor soils, it is widely used in reclamation, restoration, and erosion control projects.

With its smooth grey bark and shiny green leaves, Green Alder often forms dense thickets that provide cover for birds and small mammals. Its seeds, buds, and catkins also supply food for wildlife. Green Alder is well suited for naturalization and ecological restoration.

Note: We use Green Alder for Alnus alnobetula subsp. crispa. This species is also known by many other common names, including Mountain Alder, Sitka Alder, and others. Please confirm the scientific name to ensure you are ordering the correct plant.

Snowball Viburnum Quick Facts

Green Alder Quick Facts

Lowest Price: $3.49 - SAVE UP TO 42%
Zone: 3b
Zone: 1a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 7 m (23 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal
Moisture: any
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: low
Suckering: high


Fall colour: purplish-red
Bark: gold to gray
Flowers: white
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes


In row spacing: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)
Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, NS, NB, NL, YT
Other Names: european cranberrybush, guelder rose, snowball bush, snowball tree
Other Names: american green alder