About Viburnum plicatum Thunb.
Viburnum plicatum Thunb. is a deciduous shrub that grows to 3 m (10 ft) tall. Its leaves are arranged oppositely, measure 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long and 3–6 cm (1–2 in) broad, are simple ovate to oval in shape, and have a serrated margin. Plants originating from Taiwan are sometimes classified as a separate variety, Viburnum plicatum var. formosanum Liu & Ou.
Viburnum plicatum is a popular ornamental plant, grown both in its native area and other temperate regions. Many popular cultivars are selected to produce entirely large, sterile flowers, with few or no fertile flowers. The flowerheads of these cultivars resemble a snowball, which gives the species its common name Japanese snowball bush. 'Grandiflorum' and 'Rotundifolium' are two cultivars of this type.
