The Best Time to Cut Flowers From a Snowball Bush

Snowball Hydrangeas

• Snowball hydrangea is one of the common names for the bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) varieties that produce large, showy white blossoms in May and June, depending on climate. Flowers may be cut as they appear. Pee Gee hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) are also sometimes called snowball bushes. These bloom from May to as late as August and retain their blossoms into the fall as they start to turn pink and dry. These can also be cut anytime during bloom.

Care of Snowball Hydrangeas

• The best way to ensure prolific blossoms on a hydrangea is to practice proper pruning techniques. Some hydrangeas bloom on the current year's wood and some on the previous year's wood. For hydrangeas that bloom in spring, such as the bigleaf varieties, pruning should be done immediately following bloom to allow the shrub to set flower buds for the following season. Hydrangeas that bloom in late summer should be pruned in early spring.

Snowball Viburnums

• Snowball types of viburnum run the gambit between fragrant varieties such as carlecephalum and Asian varieties such as macrocephalum or plicatum. These varieties of snowball viburnum bloom starting in early spring and continue through mid to late spring depending on climate. Flowers may be cut anytime during the bloom period. Unlike snowball hydrangeas, snowball viburnum do not produce individual blossoms on a stem, but a cluster of flowers on a stem. When cutting flowers, cut the stem just above a set of leaves further down the stem.

Care of Snowball Viburnums

• Snowball viburnum types should be pruned after they have completed their bloom cycle in the spring. Pruning later in the year or pruning in early spring will cut off the flower buds for the following year. Mature snowball viburnums may not bloom as prolifically as younger shrubs. A renewal pruning may be necessary to remove old, dead and weak stems. Viburnums will also tolerate a heavy shearing to rejuvenate them.