This Shrub Is a Winner

For an outstanding display, try doublefile viburnum.

The biggest mystery in the South today isn't why there's a basketball team in Memphis named the "Grizzlies." No, it's why more homeowners aren't familiar with a beautiful plant called doublefile viburnum. It offers spectacular spring flowers and colorful summer and autumn berries and is very easy to grow. Plus, it's available for just a few bucks at most garden centers and nurseries.

Native to Japan and China, doublefile viburnum (Viburnum plicatum tomentosum) forms a wide-spreading shrub with tiers of branches stretching out horizontally. Depending on the selection, the shrub may eventually grow 5 to 12 feet tall and 8 to 15 feet wide. It makes a wonderful specimen for the middle of a spacious lawn or the corner of a foundation planting. You can also place several in a row to form a tall, informal screen.

Flowers appear in April and May, standing on 2-inch stems atop the foliage. The showy, white blossoms resemble those of lacecap hydrangea. Large, sterile outer florets surround an inner core of tiny fertile flowers that form seeds. Selections such as 'Shasta,' 'Mariesii,' and 'Shoshoni' bloom so heavily that you can barely see the foliage.

Fading flowers reveal handsome dark green leaves with conspicuously sunken veins. This foliage may turn russet red to reddish purple in fall. Multitudes of small, bright red fruit appear in July and August and then gradually change to black in fall. Planting two different selections together often results in cross-pollination and heavier fruiting, which pleases hungry birds.

Simply Beautiful

Growing doublefile viburnum is a snap. Plant it in a fairly sunny spot where it receives light shade during the afternoon. It needs fertile, well-drained soil that doesn't dry out too quickly. Give it extra water during summer dry spells. Don't let the plant wilt, or the leaves may scorch. Do any necessary pruning immediately after the flowers drop.

Though many selections exist, only a few are widely available and worth recommending. The best, 'Shasta,' is a large shrub that grows 10 to 12 feet tall and wide and sports abundant flowers and fruit. 'Mariesii' is an older selection similar to 'Shasta' but with less fruit and slightly smaller flowers. For a more compact shrub, choose 'Shoshoni,' which grows 5 feet tall and 8 feet wide.

The Coastal South is too warm for doublefile viburnum, but you can still try laurustinus (V. tinus), sandankwa viburnum (V. suspensum), sweet viburnum (V. odoratissimum), and Japanese viburnum (V. japonicum).

If you're in the market for a beautiful flowering shrub that's easy to grow, try doublefile viburnum. Unlike the Grizzlies, this one's a winner.

-STEVE BENDER

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This shrub gets big fast!

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Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Apr 2007
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