Few spring shrubs stop visitors the way Chinese Snowball Viburnum does. Native to mainland China, this deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub earns its species name from the Latin for "large head" and justifies it entirely. The spherical to hemispherical flower clusters are among the largest of any snowball viburnum, emerging chartreuse before turning white, sterile, and fragrance-free. In some regions, a second flush of bloom appears in fall. Plants grow to 25 feet tall and 20 feet wide in favorable conditions, though many garden specimens stay considerably more modest.

Most cultivated forms produce only sterile flowers and bear no fruit, which keeps the display clean and low-maintenance. The semi-evergreen, opposite leaves are pubescent with serrate margins and dark green through the growing season. Grow in moist acidic well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. It responds well to pruning, though timing matters: blossoms appear on new growth, so cut after flowering to preserve the following season's display. Use as a specimen, in a woodland garden, or as the anchor of a cottage border.