Snowball Viburnum vs Marsh Cinquefoil - TreeTime.ca

Snowball Viburnum vs Marsh Cinquefoil

Viburnum opulus roseum

Comarum palustre

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Snowball Viburnum
Marsh Cinquefoil

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.

Marsh Cinquefoil is a native perennial wetland plant with striking reddish-purple, star-shaped flowers. They bloom in early to mid-summer, providing nectar for bees, flies, and other pollinators. Beyond its summer blooms, the foliage turns red in autumn, adding seasonal interest to wetland landscapes.

Common in wetlands, pond margins, and wet meadows, Marsh Cinquefoil spreads by rhizomes to form colonies or patches that contribute to shoreline stabilization. It thrives in nutrient-poor, saturated soils where many other plants struggle, making it valuable in challenging wetland conditions. With its ecological function and ornamental appeal, it is well-suited for wetland plantings, ecological restoration, and naturalized projects.

Snowball Viburnum Quick Facts

Marsh Cinquefoil Quick Facts

Zone: 3b
Zone: 1b
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: ascending to upright
Spreading: seeds - medium, rhizomes - medium
Suckering: low


Fall colour: purplish-red
Bark: gold to gray
Flowers: white
Flowers: dark red/maroon, star-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: european cranberrybush, guelder rose, snowball bush, snowball tree
Other Names: marsh five fingers, purple cinquefoil, purple marshlocks