Viburnum plicatum

Thunb.

Japanese snowball, Snowball Viburnum

Adoxaceae Edible: Fruit, Leaves 15,925 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Viburnum plicatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Adoxaceae (formerly Caprifoliaceae), native to mainland China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. The Latin specific epithet plicatum means "pleated", referring to the texture of the leaves.

Description

A shrub. It grows 2.5-3.7 m tall and spreading 3-4.5 m wide. The branches are horizontal. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves appear to be pleated. The leaves are opposite and broadly oval. They are 4-12 cm long by 3-7 cm wide. The flowers occur in heads. They are yellow to white. The fruit is oval and red but turn black as they ripen. They are 5-7 mm long by 3-4 mm wide.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. Young leaves can also be cooked, though they are rather unpleasant.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It is frost hardy. In southern China it grows between 200-3,000 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 4-9. Arboretum Tasmania. In Melbourne Botanical Gardens. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Asia, Australia, Canada, China*, Japan*, North America, Taiwan, Tasmania,

Cultivation

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but is ill-adapted for poor soils and for dry situations. It prefers a deep rich loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Best if given shade from the early morning sun in spring. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°c. Plants are surface-rooting and are very susceptible to damage by hoeing, drought or water-logging. A section of top growth will often die back if the roots are damaged, in severe cases this will lead to the death of the plant. A very ornamental plant, there are many named varieties. The type species is actually a sterile garden form. The true wild species is often referred to as V. plicatum tomentosum. (Thunb.)Miq. Plants take about 5 years from planting out before they produce fruit. Fruit production can be erratic. Plants are self-incompatible and need to grow close to a genetically distinct plant in the same species in order to produce fruit and fertile seed.

Propagation

Seed is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Germination can be slow, sometimes taking more than 18 months. Seed harvested green — fully developed but not yet fully ripe — and sown immediately in a cold frame should germinate the following spring. Stored seed needs 2 months of warm stratification followed by 3 months of cold, and may still take 18 months to germinate. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle, grow on in a cold frame or greenhouse, and plant out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Softwood cuttings taken in early summer in a frame should be potted individually once rooting begins and planted out the following late spring or early summer. Half-ripe cuttings, 5–8 cm long with a heel if possible, taken in July or August in a frame should be potted as soon as they start to root. These can be difficult to overwinter and are best kept under glass until the following spring. Mature wood cuttings taken in winter in a frame should root in early spring; pot when large enough and plant out in summer if sufficient new growth has been made, otherwise overwinter in a cold frame and plant out the following spring. Layering of the current season's growth in July or August takes 15 months.

Other Uses

None known Special Uses

Notes

There are about 150 Viburnum species. Also put in the family Caprifoliaceae.

Synonyms

Viburnum plicatum var. dilatatum Lindl.and others

Also Known As

Xueqiu

References (7)

Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1468
Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 306
Joyce, D., 1998, The Garden Plant Selector. Ryland, Peters and Small. p 164
Lord, E.E., & Willis, J.H., 1999, Shrubs and Trees for Australian gardens. Lothian. p 269
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/

Show all 7 references