This week's Plant Of The Week is Viburnum plicatum 'Mariesii' or Japanese Snowball Bush.
This beautiful, deciduous shrub has widely spreading branches which naturally assume a series of horizontal tiers. This layered effect is especially prominent in the variety 'Mariesii', which is even more stunning when in full bloom, as our photograph shows. The flowers, which are similar to the blooms of a lace-cap hydrangea, are arranged in two parallel rows along the upper side of the branches. The dark green leaves are deeply veined and will turn red-purple in the fall.
This shrub would make an excellent choice as a specimen plant. It would also work well in a Japanese style garden due to its distinctive horizontal growth habit.
Young plants require minimal pruning and any vertical shoots that threaten to spoil the distinctive tiered shape of established plants should be cut back to their point of origin in summer after flowering. With careful pruning, carried out by an experienced horticulturalist, the shrub can be trained to a more symmetrical shape.
