Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum Cascade - Japanese Snowball

Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Cascade' is a bush from China recognisable by its widely spreading habit, both compact and well-balanced. In spring, the almost horizontal branches of this shrub are adorned with lots of slightly flattened inflorescences ranging from white to pale pink. After pollination, a multitude of red berries form in late summer, tightly packed in beautiful clusters, while the foliage takes on flamboyant tones. In winter, one can admire its delicately tiered branches, with a Japanese charm. This highly ornamental plant is easy to accommodate in any good garden soil, neither too dry nor too chalky.

Viburnum plicatum 'Cascade' belongs to the Viburnaceae family. This horticultural cultivar was selected in 1971. In the wild, in China, the species mainly grows in wooded areas and clear understories. The 'Cascade' variety forms a bush that reaches a maximum height of 1.8 m and a width of 2.2 m. Its growth is moderately slow to slow. It has a spreading and slightly trailing habit that adds a graceful dimension to the garden. Its ovoid leaves, 4 to 10 centimetres long, are green in summer and turn red, purple, yellow, and orange in autumn. It is a deciduous foliage that falls in autumn. The white flowers, about 10 cm in diameter, appear in May and June, forming large flat inflorescences that cover the branches. They are composed of a peripheral crown of well-developed sterile flowers, with elliptical sepals, surrounding small fertile flowers in the form of buds. The pollinated fertile flowers transform into small red berries, black at maturity, gathered in generous clusters. The bark of old branches is grey, while young shoots are light brown.

Viburnum plicatum 'Cascade' is decorative as a solitary specimen, in a shrub bed, or in a flowering hedge. Many shrubs harmonise well with this elegant bush, including Cornus kousa 'Copacabana', Deutzia magnifica, mock orange Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile', and Spirea 'Anthony Waterer'. Together, they will create harmonious and colourful compositions, bringing diversity of shapes and colours to the garden. It can also be planted in a large container on the terrace or balcony.