PlantFiles: Doublefile Viburnum
Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'Shasta'

I have 2 viburnum doublefile, one in my front yard one in my back yard. I prefer a more relaxed down-home sort of look in my garden. I NEVER prune it, although I'm going to have to change that as I noticed a couple of dead branches. We had a huge tree come down on top of the plant and I had to cut away about half of it, because of the breaks. Not knowing what I was doing I simply cut them away. The next summer it bloomed as always. I live in NH. This plant can't be beat for hardiness and ability to bounce back. Birds LOVE it! It has now asexually reproduced and I must have 50 of them around the base. I'm going to replant them all over the yard. I wish I could post a photo. It is so filled with flowers right now that you can barely see the leaves. it is gorgeous!

Not to be TOO picky, but I don't think this is considered to be a snowball viburnum, which would match v. plicatum f. plicatum. I think the heading should just call this a Doublefile Viburnum. 'Shasta' is a lacecap, and NOT sterile, which Mike Dirr writes is how one distinguishes the categories. I'm new to viburnums, actually, but I hope to grow Shasta this spring.

This is an absolutely stunning shrub - I have two planted 8ish feet apart and their horizontal branches have merged. The flat white flowers along each branch are huge and the berries are gorgeous. When thirsty, Shasta politely asks for water, drooping its leaves, then raising them when quenched. Remove the odd vertical branch in early spring, before leaves break to keep the horizontal form. Heavenly.

I planted my viburnum over 7 years ago, after my daughter's birth. It is now lovingly named "Lizzie's Bush." It produces absolutely gorgeous white flowers in mid spring. I find it easy pruning for shape and, as others have mentioned, a bit "dog-eared" in the deep heat of the summer. But just like my daughter, give her a little water and she perks right up. I have noticed the roots growing very close to the surface, but a little humis and a little mulch and it thrives!

Doublefile viburnum in general, and Shasta in particular, are easy and rewarding shrubs to grow. The standard plant is quite large, though; gardeners should be ready to allow 12' x 12' minimum for Shasta. The only fault I find with it is the propensity to look "dog-eared" in the heat of summer, due to lack of moisture or ability to keep up with evaporative loss. With the onset of shade/evening/watering, doublefile viburnum perks back up.

As with most all viburnums, doublefile viburnum can dazzle the gardener with copious fruit display, as long as there are insects AND a different doublefile viburnum (not the same clone) present to provide good cross-pollination. See listings for Shoshoni, Mariesii, Pink Beauty, and others. This is NOT a male/female flower condition (dioecious), rather a self-infertility issue as the Viburnum genus is monoecious.

Find this shrub a happy, sunny place, and it does the rest! It has beautiful bracts of flowers in mid-Spring that line the horizontally spreading branches. In the Fall, it turns an attractive bronze.

It's a great plant. I'm delighted to have it in my garden.

Planted two in Spring 2002. They are now about 4.5 feet high by five to six feet wide. Beautiful horizontal branching. Gorgeous white flowers in May and nice red berry set in Fall. The berries do not last long - the birds love them. Fall color is very nice bronze. A great multi-season shrub. A must-have.