Mariesii doublefile viburnum

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade is helpful in hot summers.

Water

Moderate; keep the root zone evenly moist, especially during establishment and summer dry spells.

Soil

Moist, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter; tolerates acidic to mildly alkaline conditions. Avoid waterlogged ground and very dry, shallow soil.

Height

8-12 ft (2.4-3.7 m)

Spread

10-15 ft (3-4.6 m)

Flowers

Late spring: flat, white lacecap clusters with large sterile flowers surrounding small fertile flowers.

Foliage

Opposite, oval, deeply veined dark green leaves with toothed edges; often turns burgundy or reddish-purple in autumn.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   3 ft (1 m)

3. After 2 years

   5 ft (1.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   7 ft (2 m)

5. After 5 years

   10 ft (3.1 m)

   full size

About 5 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Invasive in

the US

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply during dry weather for the first two growing seasons; established plants also need water during prolonged drought.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root zone, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Apply compost in spring; use a balanced slow-release fertiliser only if growth is weak or soil is poor.
• Allow enough space for the full branch spread rather than controlling its size by shearing.
• Protect from hot, drying winds where summers are severe.

Pruning. Prune only as needed immediately after flowering, removing damaged, crossing or badly placed branches back to their origin. Preserve the horizontal tiers and avoid winter trimming, which removes developing flower buds.

Spring

Plant when the soil is workable, water thoroughly and mulch the root zone.

Early spring

Top up mulch and apply compost without burying the base of the stems.

Late spring

Enjoy the flowers and check new growth for aphids or leaf-feeding larvae.

Early summer

After flowering, remove only branches that spoil the natural framework or crowd other growth.

Summer

Water deeply during dry spells; check soil moisture beneath the mulch before watering again.

Autumn

Plant in mild regions while soil is still warm, and remove unwanted seedlings where natural spread is a concern.

• Use as a specimen in a broad lawn or open border where its layered branches can be seen from several directions.
• Place at a woodland edge with ferns and shade-tolerant perennials beneath the outer canopy.
• Set against dark evergreen shrubs to make the white flower clusters stand out.
• Use in a spacious mixed shrub border with hydrangeas and Japanese maples for spring flowers and autumn colour.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Japanese, English country, Traditional, White garden and Autumn colour.

Plant it with: Japanese maple, Oakleaf hydrangea, Hosta, Astilbe, Japanese painted fern and Hellebore.

Wildlife: The small fertile flowers attract bees, flies and other insects. Red fruits that ripen to black may feed birds, although fruit production varies; a genetically different doublefile viburnum flowering at the same time can improve fruit set.

• Drought stress causes wilting and scorched leaf edges: water deeply, maintain mulch and provide afternoon shade in hot locations.
• Viburnum leaf beetle can skeletonise leaves where present: inspect young foliage in spring, remove affected leaves and prune out egg-bearing twig tips during dormancy.
• Aphids can curl young leaves: wash small colonies off with water and encourage ladybirds and other predators.
• Root rot can develop in persistently wet soil: improve drainage or move the shrub to a better-drained position rather than continuing to water.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs or horses. The berries are not a human food crop and may cause stomach upset if eaten, especially in quantity; discourage children and pets from eating them.

Where it spreads. Can escape cultivation by seed and invade woodland in parts of the eastern United States, particularly the Mid-Atlantic. Check local invasive-plant guidance before planting; 'Mariesii' should not be assumed sterile.

• Japanese snowball (Viburnum plicatum f. plicatum)

  Has rounded, snowball-like heads of sterile flowers rather than the flat lacecap clusters of 'Mariesii'.

• Lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

  Usually flowers in summer and has broader, less deeply pleated leaves; it lacks the distinctive tiered branches and paired rows of spring flowers.

The name 'Mariesii' honours plant collector Charles Maries, while 'doublefile' describes the two rows of flower clusters carried along the branches.

Propagation. Take softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer, or semi-ripe cuttings later in summer. Layering low branches is another option; seedlings will not reliably retain the cultivar's characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Viburnum plicatum Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Mariesii' is an older name for Viburnum plicatum.

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Japan and Taiwan.

Measured

Average height 300 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.