A Repeat Blooming Doublefile Viburnum

Repeat blooming plants are the hottest plants for gardening today - and for good reason. Whether it is hydrangeas, daylilies or iris, with today's smaller gardens, the desire is for more flowers from a limited space. An ideal way to achieve this is with plants that bloom more than once per year. This week we are featuring one of the few repeat blooming deciduous shrubs and virtually the only repeat blooming viburnum - plicatum tomentosum 'Summer Snowflake.'

Two attributes set 'Summer Snowflake' apart from other plicatum Viburnums - repeat blooms and compact growth habit. In the spring, 'Summer Snowflake' will bloom with clusters of white flowers that follow along the horizontal stems, creating a double row of blooms on each side. This bloom pattern gives 'Summer Snowflake' its common name - doublefile viburnum. The spring blooms are followed by cycles of blooms throughout the summer. Because it uses so much of its energy repeatedly flowering, 'Summer Snowflake' grows more compactly than is typical for Viburnum plicatum. It matures at about six feet tall and five feet wide. Like so may repeat blooming plants, maximum bloom will be achieved if 'Summer Snowflake' is kept actively growing with ample water and fertilization.

'Summer Snowflake' has dark green oval leaves that can reach up to five inches long. The foliage turns a rusty red to bronze in the early fall and the flowers give way to bright red berries that are relished by the birds. 'Summer Snowflake' is easy to grow and it is rarely troubled by pests and diseases. It can be planted as a specimen, used for screening or in a spot in the foundation planting where a moderately tall deciduous shrub is called for.

Planting and Care