Snowball Viburnum – Do I Need Another Viburnum To “Berry Up”

Q: I have a wonderful snowball viburnum but never notice it producing berries. Do I need another viburnum species nearby for it to “berry up” for the birds? 

A: There are two flower forms of snowball viburnum. Viburnum macrocephalum, with the big white hydrangea-type flowers, is a sterile flower form. It does not make berries. On the other hand, there is a wild species of this viburnum that has small lacecap-type flowers. The scientific name is Viburnum macrocephalum f. keteleeri. The flowers of this plant are fertile and plants from different parts of the country will pollinate each other. This results in red or black berries which are reasonably attractive to birds.

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