Bodnant viburnum vs Japanese snowball

Bodnant viburnum and Japanese snowball are often considered for the same spot in the garden (flowers, specimen, pollinator friendly). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Bodnant viburnum

Viburnum × bodnantense 2.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

An upright deciduous shrub 2 to 3 m tall that carries strongly scented pink flowers on bare branches from late autumn to early spring, when little…

Shrub

Full sun

Part shade

from about PLN 24

Japanese snowball

Viburnum plicatum 2.5 m × 3 m after 10 years

A broad, spreading deciduous shrub with horizontal, tiered branches that are lined with two rows of white flowers in late spring: the lacecap forms…

Shrub

Full sun

Part shade

from about PLN 18

Key differences

Japanese snowball spreads wider: 2.5 m × 3 m after ten years, against 2.5 m × 1.5 m for Bodnant viburnum (an estimate: sources differ).
Bodnant viburnum also takes chalky soil, Japanese snowball prefers acidic soil and struggles on chalk.
Bodnant viburnum also takes heavy clay, Japanese snowball needs a loose, free-draining soil.

Which one to choose?

Bodnant viburnum is the better choice if the soil is chalky or the soil is heavy clay.

Watch out for

Bodnant viburnum

Hard frost browns the open flowers and buds, especially when sun hits them straight after a frosty night. The shrub itself is not harmed and new buds open in milder spells, but in Central Europe this means most of the bloom falls in mild winter periods and in February and March. Aphids can occur. Viburnum leaf beetle damages it far less than it does guelder rose, but it may appear. Root rot can develop in permanently wet soil.

Japanese snowball

In the hot, dry summers of Central Europe it wilts quickly and the leaf margins brown and scorch, so it is best grown in part shade, mulched and watered in drought. It also dislikes waterlogging and heavy, airless clay, where stems may die back. It can be cut back by frost in a very hard winter. It is among the viburnums most resistant to viburnum leaf beetle and seldom has serious pests or diseases.

The data side by side

Feature	Bodnant viburnum	Japanese snowball
Group	Shrub	Shrub
Size after 10 years	2.5 m × 1.5 m (uncertain)	2.5 m × 3 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	2–3 m × 1.2–2 m	1.5–4.5 m × 1.5–5.5 m
Growth rate	Medium	Medium
Light	Full sun, Part shade	Full sun, Part shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic	Average garden soil, Acidic
Hardiness	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	Medium (uncertain)	Low
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	November–April, pink, white	April–June, white, pink
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	Low	Low
Maintenance	Low	Low
Planting distance	150 cm	250 cm
For dogs	Mildly toxic (uncertain)	no data
For cats	Mildly toxic (uncertain)	no data
For children	Mildly toxic	no data
Typical price	approx. PLN 24	approx. PLN 24

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 17, 2026

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