Hydrangea plants are one of the most common garden selections due to their beauty and low maintenance. The snowball viburnum plant, on the other hand, is just as beautiful and even easier to take care of, but you may not have heard of it. You probably won’t be able to tell them apart by sight because they look so much alike. Yet, they are very different plants. The viburnum bush is also commonly known as cranberry bush, hobblebush, arrowwood, nannyberry, or snowball bush. They come in many varieties and can grow to be between 2 and 20 feet tall.
Like hydrangea white bloom flowers, snowball viburnum flowers are round like snowballs and smell great, which makes bees and butterflies want to visit. But, unlike hydrangeas, viburnum plants produce fruit. The leaves of the viburnum change with the seasons and transform from green to red, burgundy, and purple.
Hydrangeas are some of the most popular flowering shrubs, known for their large, colorful blooms that last all summer long. While true hydrangeas (Hydrangea species) have their own unique beauty, there are many other flowers that give off a similar hydrangea-esque vibe in gardens. With lush, full blooms and a relaxed, informal shape, these plants make great alternatives or companions to hydrangea in the landscape.
If you love the look of hydrangeas but want to branch out and try some new plant varieties, here are 8 flowers that look strikingly similar to hydrangeas:
1. Clematis
Clematis are trailing and climbing vines that produce glorious flowers reminiscent of hydrangeas. Popular clematis varieties like the Blue Bird clematis produce enormous blue blooms that look like giant hydrangea blossoms. Other clematis flowers come in shades of purple, pink and white, allowing you to create a hydrangea-like display on a trellis, fence or arbor. Clematis flowers also have a relaxed, open shape with multiple layers of petals that give them a lush, full look like hydrangeas.
2. Crapemyrtle
Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is a popular flowering shrub or small tree with flowers that closely resemble hydrangeas. The crepe-like texture and full round shape of crapemyrtle blooms look almost identical to mophead or lacecap hydrangeas. Crapemyrtles come in shades of pink, red, purple and white, allowing you to create a stunning hydrangea lookalike display. They also continue reblooming throughout the summer, extending the flowering display.
3. Elderberry
Both the American elderberry (Sambucus nigra) and European elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) produce large, hydrangea lookalike blooms. The flat-topped, lacy clusters of petite elderberry flowers create an airy, open shape reminiscent of lacecap hydrangeas. For the fullest, fluffiest blooms, choose an elderberry variety like Black Lace that has finely-cut leaves to perfectly complement the flowers.
4. Lilac
The huge, puffy blooms of old-fashioned French hybrid lilacs look just like massive hydrangea blossoms on a bush. With their dense, multi-layered flower heads, lilacs mimick the lush fullness of mophead hydrangeas. For the closest resemblance, choose a lilac in classic hydrangea colors like pale purple, violet-blue or bright magenta. The colorful blooms and sweet fragrance of lilacs give your garden a beautiful hydrangea-like feel.
5. Rhododendron
Similar to lilacs and hydrangeas, rhododendrons produce their flowers in big, rounded clusters with multiple layers of ruffled petals The full, fluffy blooms have an open yet dense look that strongly resembles hydrangeas For maximum effect, use bold hydrangea colors like fuchsia, purple and pink. Azaleas, close cousins to rhododendrons, also make great hydrangea lookalikes with their puffy flowers.
6. Rose
While they don’t resemble the classic hydrangea shape, full, old-fashioned rose blossoms capture the lush, bountiful feel of hydrangeas. Varieties like English roses and heirloom Bourbon roses produce enormous flowers packed with overlapping petals. The flowers are so full and dense that they take on a similar rounded pillowy shape as hydrangeas. Roses like ‘Reine des Violettes’ with layers of violet-purple petals make beautiful counterparts to blue hydrangeas.
7. Smokebush
Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria) has large, airy flower plumes that look strikingly similar to lacecap hydrangeas. During summer, smokebush produces big panicles of tiny flowers that have a delicate, fluffy texture resembling hydrangea blooms. For the strongest hydrangea effect, look for a smokebush variety like Royal Purple or Velvet Cloak with dark red-purple foliage and purple flower plumes.
8. Spirea
Spirea is a diverse group of flowering shrubs that includes several varieties with hydrangea lookalike blooms. Varieties like Bridalwreath spirea and Japanese spirea produce dense clusters of small white flowers that strongly resemble mophead hydrangeas. Meanwhile, Anthony Waterer spirea has round, pom-pom like blooms in shades of pink, red or purple that mimic the look of big colorful hydrangeas. Planting different spirea varieties together makes for an incredible, long-blooming hydrangea display.
While hydrangeas are undeniably beautiful shrubs, don’t be afraid to look beyond them to other flowering plants that can enhance your garden with hydrangea-esque blossoms. By incorporating selections from flowering vines, shrubs and trees, you can create fantastic displays that mimic the lush, full blooms of hydrangeas in different colors and shapes. Any of these 8 flowers make great additions alongside hydrangeas or alternatives where hydrangeas may not thrive. With so many options, you’re sure to find beautiful new flowers to inject that sought-after hydrangea look into your landscape.
Snowball viburnum vs hydrangea white bloom flower
One big difference between white hydrangea and snowball viburnum is that viburnum shrubs have a beautiful range of colored berries. There are different shades of fruit, like yellow, orange, red, pink, blue, and black. Red is the most common color. The berries grow even during the winter. For this reason, birds and other small animals may eat them when food is scarce during colder months.
Like with hydrangeas, when it comes to pruning, you will want to remove any dead or broken branches. This helps the plant grow by giving young flowers and branches more room to grow and bloom and by making sure there is enough airflow. To make the bushes look better, you might cut them back to a shape that works with where they are on your property. You can also grow them in pots. Once more, viburnum are used as borders for gardens and landscapes and as house hedges, just like hydrangeas. This is mostly because they look nice and are easy to grow.
