Snowball Viburnum vs Blue Flax - TreeTime.ca

Snowball Viburnum vs Blue Flax

Viburnum opulus roseum

Linum lewisii

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Snowball Viburnum
Blue Flax

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.

Blue Flax is a native perennial wildflower known for its blue to violet flowers. Each flower lasts just a single day, but new blooms appear continuously, providing weeks of colour. This extended flowering period provides a reliable display from late spring into summer and attracts a variety of pollinators.

They can self-seed readily, so removing spent blooms helps manage their spread. Birds feed on the seeds, and when cooked, they are edible and are described as having a mild, nutty flavour. The plant grows in loose clumps with slender stems and fine foliage. Young plants are leafy, but as they mature, most leaves are shed.

Blue Flax grows well in a wide range of soils, including poor or sandy conditions, and is drought-tolerant once established. The deep root system helps to stabilize soil and prevent erosion. They are well-suited for pollinator gardens, restoration, naturalization, and xeriscaping projects.

As a perennial, it dies back to the crown each winter, it will regrow from the base in the spring. Avoid disturbing the crown during late winter to ensure healthy growth the following season.

Snowball Viburnum Quick Facts

Blue Flax Quick Facts

Zone: 3b
Zone: 3a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 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: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, rounded, clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - high
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: toxic to some animals, raw seed toxic
Fall colour: purplish-red
Bark: gold to gray
Flowers: white
Flowers: pale to deep blue-violet
Bloom time: late spring to mid summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: european cranberrybush, guelder rose, snowball bush, snowball tree
Other Names: lewis flax, lewis wild blue flax, prairie flax, wild blue flax