スイカズラ科ガマズミ属の落葉小高木で、学名は Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum。英名は Japanese snowball。
The Japanese snowball (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum) belongs to Caprifoliaceae (the Honeysuckle family). It is a semi-tall deciduous tree that is endemic to Japan, and distributed to the Pacific Ocean Side of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. This tree grows in along montane streams and can reach about 6 m in height. The branches spread out on the level. The leaves are ellitic to broad elliptic, opposite with visible oblique latera veins. The corymbs are borne on the terminal branches from May to June. The small bisexual flowers are arranged at center and the white ornamental flowers are arraged at around periphery. The fruits are drupes, ripen in red to black from August to October.