Japanese Snowball Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Summer Snowflake'
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Japanese Snowball:
- Phonetic Spelling
- vy-BUR-num ply-KAY-tum toh-men-TOH-sum
- Description
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Doublefile viburnum is a dense multi-stemmed shrub that matures at a height of 5 to 8 feet and features showy white flowers in late spring and sporadically in summer. Plant in full sun to partial shade with moist, well-drained soil. It prefers loams but tolerates a range of soil types. Prune it back immediately after flowering as it flowers on second-year wood and you risk removing the flower buds if you wait. It is drought tolerant once established.
Leaves are burgundy to bronze-purplish in autumn. It is noted for orangish-red drupes in late summer which are irregularly produced in the South. Plant as a foundation plant, a specimen, or in small shrub borders, hedges, or mass plantings..
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems.
The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases.
Quick ID
- Flat-topped, double-file inflorescences on tiered branches
- Large sterile flowers surrounding small fertile
- Leaves opposite, caperate
- Compact, dense shrub of small size
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Viburnum
- Species:
- plicatum
- Family:
- Viburnaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Dimensions:
- Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Erect
- Horizontal
- Multi-stemmed
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Blue
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Description:
- Fruits are rounded ovoid, red drupes becoming bluish-black.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Umbel
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Lacy white flowers appear in mid to late spring and continue to bloom on and off through the summer and sometimes even into fall. The inflorescence is axillary in two rows, flat-topped, lace umbels, with outer sterile flowers surrounding inner fertile flowers.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Crenate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves opposite, dark green, caperate with impressed veins, drooping, elliptic-ovate to broad ovate, crenate, stellate-pubescent.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Horizontal branching habit
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Small groups
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
