Canada Plum & American Plum vs Snowball Viburnum - TreeTime.ca

Canada Plum & American Plum vs Snowball Viburnum

Viburnum opulus roseum

Prunus nigra and americana

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Snowball Viburnum
Canada Plum & American Plum

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.

Canada and American Plum are almost identical in appearance and growth needs. These plants are short and stout fruit trees native to North America.

This hardy ornamental is excellent for both city dwellings as well as rural areas. During the spring, the white and pink blossoms are long lasting. The tasty fruit is suitable for fresh eating, baking, and preserves. These trees are not widely distributed and pure seed can be hard to come by.

Both are commonly used as rootstock and are considered universal pollinizers for other plum varieties.

Snowball Viburnum Quick Facts

Canada Plum & American Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 3b
Zone: 2b
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: high


Fall colour: purplish-red
Fall colour: attractive yellow, gold
Bark: gold to gray
Bark: grey and scaly with age
Flowers: white
Flowers: white
Fruit: under 1 inch round yellow fruits with red blush to completely red, tart skin with sweet flesh
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: MB, ON, QC, NB
Other Names: european cranberrybush, guelder rose, snowball bush, snowball tree
Other Names: american plum, black plum, canada plum, horse plum, wild plum