Blooms arrive either in flat doublefile tiers or in rounded snowball clusters, and the autumn foliage is as good as the spring flowering. Japanese snowball (Viburnum plicatum) is a hardy shrub reaching 10 feet that feeds honeybees early in the year; give it cool, well-drained soil out of harsh sun and it flowers abundantly.
| Name | Viburnum plicatum |
|---|---|
| Family | Adoxaceae |
| Type | shrub |
| Height | 10 feet (3 meters) |
| Exposure | full sun or part sun |
| Soil | ordinary, well drained |
| Foliage | deciduous |
| Flowering | spring to fall |
Some cultivars are more rare than others, but all are beautiful!
It is best to plant your Viburnum plicatum (or Japanese snowball) in fall. This greatly favors root development before the winter sets in. On mild winter days, roots spread underground, gearing the shrub up for vigorous growth in spring.
This will lead to quick blooming.
However, if you received your plicatum viburnum in a pot or in a container, you can also plant in spring taking great care to water regularly at the beginning.
Viburnum plicatum trees needs cool soil to develop really well. Try to cover the soil around the stem with organic material every year.
It isn’t necessary to prune the plant, but it can be useful if you wish to reshape older specimens.
Wait for the blooming to end if you wish to reduce or reshape the shrub.
Cultivars fall into two camps: the flat, tiered “doublefile” lacecaps and the rounded snowball types. The table below compares the ones most often sold, so you can match flower form, size and colour to the spot you have in mind.
| Variety | Flower form | Flower colour | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Kilimanjaro Sunrise’ | Lacecap, conical habit | White ageing deep pink | Large pots, small plots |
| ‘Pink Beauty’ | Lacecap tiers | White flushing pink | Flowered hedge |
| ‘Summer Snowflake’ | Lacecap, long flowering | White | Small gardens |
| ‘Watanabe’ | Lacecap, repeat flowering | White | Compact border shrub |
| ‘Shasta’ | Lacecap, very wide tiers | White | Low horizontal screen |
| ‘Mariesii’ | Flat lacecap tiers | Pure white | Standalone specimen |
| ‘Lanarth’ | Lacecap, large bracts | White | Back of shrub bed |
As part of a
Viburnum plicatum growing and maintenance is easy.
Viburnum plicatum is a very beautiful shrub: blooming in spring is as beautiful as its foliage in fall.
It has the advantage of a high hardiness and provides pollen and nectar for honeybees for their greatest joy in early spring.
Some of the most famous Viburnum plicatum are ‘Mary Milton’, ‘Watanabe’ and ‘Mariesii’.
Also part of the Viburnum family is laurestine, often found in our gardens.
Avoid locations too exposed to harsh sun. It’s best to plant it underneath a tree or taller shrub that will protect it for part of the day if you live in hot regions. In cooler places it can cope fine with full sun.
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