American Snowbell
Styrax americanus
Fragrant white bells hang from arching branches in May, just as leaves emerge. Four to eight feet, sized for the understory or shade border.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Fragrant hanging white bells in May, native bees in attendance, elegant arching form. American snowbell is the refined shrub a shade garden deserves.
American snowbell is a shrub for the understory gardener who wants something that blooms in May and smells like it. Pendant white bell-shaped flowers hang in clusters along arching branches just as the leaves emerge, delicate, fragrant, and briefly magnificent. Bees find the flowers immediately. The show is short but concentrated, the kind of bloom event worth walking the yard to see. At four to eight feet, it fits under taller canopy or at the back of a shade border without fighting for space. The foliage is tidy through summer and the arching form gives the plant year-round structure. For a native alternative to old-fashioned snowball viburnum in a woodland garden, this is the choice.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown american snowbell propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Part sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 4–8 ft · 4–6 ft wide
- USDA zones
- 6–9
- Family
- Styracaceae
- Native range
- Southeastern United States
Care notes for american snowbell.
Part shade, consistently moist, acidic, humus-rich soil. Water regularly. it does not tolerate drought. Amend clay soils with organic matter at planting. Prune lightly after flowering if shaping is needed. Mulch generously to maintain soil moisture and coolness. Does not like wet feet long-term. well-drained but consistently moist is the target.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside american snowbell.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.