Snowball Viburnum vs Empress Tree - TreeTime.ca

Snowball Viburnum vs Empress Tree

Viburnum opulus roseum

Paulownia tomentosa

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Snowball Viburnum
Empress Tree

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.

The Empress Tree is a fast growing, ornamental shade tree. It has purple, fragrant flowers that are quite attractive. The flowers emerge before the leaves in early spring. The leaves of this tree can grow very large, up to 30 cm long.

As one of the fastest growing trees in the world, this tree has been given considerable attention for carbon sequestration projects. It drops many seeds which can make it invasive in warmer climates. Please do some research and plant the right tree in the right place.

The Empress tree’s genus name comes from Princess Paulowna, daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia.

Snowball Viburnum Quick Facts

Empress Tree Quick Facts

Zone: 3b
Zone: 5a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 9 m (30 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: very fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: medium


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


Other Names: european cranberrybush, guelder rose, snowball bush, snowball tree
Other Names: chinese empress tree, foxglove tree, princess tree, royal paulownia