My snowball tree keeps producing sad, flat little sprinkles of flowers instead of nice fat round snowballs. Is this a pollination issue? Or, do I just have a dud? Wynn
You have probably got the wrong Viburnum. Presume this is what you wanted.......http://www.kurowski.pl/ru/katalog.php?action=lisciaste&roslina=202&nazwy=1Viburnum opulus roseum.Another is Viburnum plicatum plicatum.( syn. with V. plicatum sterile. ) If you post a picture of the flowers and leaf on yours someone here will tell you what you have. Hope this helps.
Pollination refers to setting of fruit, not flower production. Flowers produce pollen, pollen fertilizes flowers which then go on to produce fruits. If you have V. opulus rather than V. opulus 'Roseum' the flowerheads will be as wide as those of the latter but with the natural lacecap shape of the wild plant. The snowballs have the whole head made up of sterile flowers instead of a ring of sterile flowers around a center of fertile flowers. A similar configuration on a familiar flower seen up close by many is that of the poinsettia, although in that case the petal-like parts around the edge are bracts rather than sterile flowers.
Hmm, I thought I posted my reply earlier but I don't see it here. Here goes again. Thanks Ron, I think you've nailed it! I must have a "wild form" of the snowball tree, not the plushy hybrid. DRAT! Out to the street with this one with a "free" sign and back to the nursery for me. Thanks again, Wynn
