Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum - Doublefile Viburnum (Adoxaceae) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum is a shrub known for its elegant beauty in form, flowering, Trunk occasional fruiting, and autumn color. Doublefile -older branches develop fissuring bark as they mature Viburnum vary in the display of these traits. into several main trunks; this is more pronounced on the larger "species" form, namely, Viburnum FEATURES plicatum Form -medium-sized USAGE ornamental shrub Function -maturing at about 8' -single, dual, or group planting shrub for tall x 10' wide entranceways, foundations, raised planters, -layered vased naturalized shrub borders, or as a specimen growth habit in Texture youth, becoming -medium texture in foliage and when bare more layered -thick density in foliage and when bare horizontal with age Assets -medium growth rate -extremely showy white inflorescences in mid-spring, Culture arranged in doublefile fashion alongside the main -full sun to partial shade stems and above the stem planes -performs best in partial sun in evenly moist, well- -excellent vased to horizontal branching habit drained, slightly acidic soils; quite adaptable to soils -good burgundy autumn color of various pH, but not especially adaptable to poor Liabilities soils, compacted soils, heavy clay soils with poor -basal trunk canker can arise on individual branches drainage, heat, drought, and pollution with advanced age, causing them to die one-at-a-time -Honeysuckle Family, with no pests causing -marginally hardy in severe zone 5 winters, and best significant problems, but a branch canker on old, placed in a wind-protected site in zone 5 for this mature plants is the primary disease of concern, reason causing individual branches to die back to the ground -foliage will diurnally wilt during the driest portions -commonly available, primarily in B&B form of summer Foliage Habitat -medium to dark green, opposite, ovate to elliptical, -Zones 5 to 8 serrated, with impressed veins and a pubescence on -Native to China and Japan the petiole and lower leaf surface -foliage will diurnally wilt during the driest portions SELECTIONS of summer Alternates -autumn color is usually an attractive wine, maroon, -shrubs with very showy spring inflorescences or burgundy color, and persistent for 2-4 weeks in (Forsythia x intermedia, Rhododendron catawbiense, mid- to late autumn Spiraea nipponica 'Snowmound', Syringa vulgaris Flowers 'Sensation', Viburnum carlesii, etc.) -white, in early Cultivars - Variants - Related species May, atop 2" -'Mariesii' - the most popular form, maturing at about long peduncles 8' x 10', with a 45 degree angle to the horizontal in its above the graceful branching; leaves hang pendulous on either angled stem side of the branches; one of the best Viburnums for plane and also the midwest in a "double -'Shasta' - inflorescences are about 5" across, on a file" on either very spreading and horizontal shrub, to 6' x 10' side of the -Viburnum plicatum - the true "species" form which stem, effective is actually sterile, having been discovered and named for 2 weeks before the normal fertile form was found, noted for -flat-topped its large size (to 15' x 15'), with huge showy snowball fertile inflorescences are creamy-white, to 3" in flowers that emerge lime diameter, and open shortly after the more showy green and transition to white, outer ring of sterile flowers open first; one of the persistent into summer and most showy shrubs when in flower slowly fading and dropping Fruits the showy florets -shrubs often do not set fruit due to a lack of V. plicatum 'Newport' (also appropriate cross-pollination, but when fruits do known as 'Nanum Newport') occur, they transition from green to pink-orange-red -a compact cutlivar of the in mid-summer, mature to black by Sept., and then sterile "species" form, slowly either abscise or are consumed by the birds maturing to 4' x 5' with a Twigs globed habit, densely -brown, pubescent to tomentose, with winter foliaged with shorter internodes, having sterile vegetative and floral buds somewhat elongated and snowball inflorescences that mature to white, pressed closely to the primary stems, with the floral excellent burgundy autumn color, and optimally buds slightly swollen and distinctly valvate utilized as a specimen, foundation, or facer shrub.