Scientific Name:
Viburnum plicatum
cvs.
Pronunciation:
vye-BUR-num plih-KAY-tum
Common Name:
Japanese snowball bush, doublefile viburnum
Family Name:
Viburnaceae
Plant Type:
Shrub - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Spreading bushy deciduous shrub; leaves opposite, blades mostly ovate, up to 13cm long x 8cm wide, deeply veined, dark green; lower surface pubescent; florets in saucer shaped or snow-ball shaped terminal corymb-like cymes, fertile florets about 5mm wide, yellowish-white. Winter ID: horizontal branching in tiers (especially for V. 'Mariesii'); vegetative buds opposite, two scales, hairy; flowers buds large, valvate, hairy, and appressed to stem; leaf scar with three prominent bundle scars.
Habit:
Horizontal, Spreading, Upright
Form:
Oval - horizontal, Round, Vase
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
3 - 5m
Mature Spread:
3 - 4m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Garden origin, S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Mixed shrub border, Perennial border, Screening, Specimen plant, Spring interest, Summer interest, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include
V. 'Nanum Semperflorens', V. 'Summer Snowflake', and V. 'Mariesii' (very similar to cv. Summer Snowflake but taller and with horizontal branching even more strongly tiered; fruit rare). Note: V. 'Sterile' has snowball-like inflorescences.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Heavily veined, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Rugose
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Red, Dark-red
Shapes:
Elliptic, Obovate, Ovate
Apices:
Acute, Cuspidate
Bases:
Obtuse, Rounded
Margins:
Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme, Floriferous, Corymb-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Green-yellow (Sterile florets creamy-white)
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun, Jul, Aug
Fruit Type:
Drupe, Aborted (hybrids) or absent
Fruit Colour:
Red, Black
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Showy
Bark Morphology:
Smooth, Prominent lenticels
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey
Leaf Bud Type:
Conical (long-pointed), Valvate
Leaf Scar Shape:
Crescent shaped
Organ Modifications:
Fibrous-like roots
Propagation:
Softwood cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Beetles or weevils (Disease resistant, Deer resistant)
Specific Pests:
Course(s):
- AARB 1012
- HORT 1155
- Level 3 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (GAZ) GAZebo
- (GAZN) GAZebo North : cv. Summer Snowflake