Viburnum plicatum ‘Lanarth’

Lanarth Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Lanarth') is grown for its architecture as much as its flowers. It builds to about 3m tall and 3m wide in tiers of horizontal branches, and each spring those tiers line up with flat white lacecap flowerheads so the whole shrub reads as layers of white.

Why you'll love it

• Horizontal, tiered branching. The branches hold out flat rather than upright, a layered look pruning cannot fake on other plants.
• Lacecap flowers along every tier. Flat white heads sit on top of the branches, so the display works from above and from the side.
• Autumn colour, then winter shape. The leaves turn before dropping, and the bare tiered frame carries the cold months.
• Wildlife works it hard. Bees and butterflies take the flowers, birds take the fruit that follows.
• Frost hardy and wind tolerant. A shrub for cold southern gardens and exposed sites.

Where it works best

Feature planting. The best use. Give it a clear 3m of width and view it from one side so the tiers layer up, ideally against a plain wall or lawn.

Informal screening. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row. It screens well from spring through autumn, but it is deciduous, so the winter screen opens up.

Loose hedging. The same 1.5m spacing suits a soft boundary. Do not shear it, because clipping destroys the tiers and removes the flower buds.

Growing Lanarth Viburnum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering and tightest tiers, though hot inland gardens want shelter from afternoon sun. This is a cool temperate and warm temperate plant needing genuine winter chill, so Victoria, Tasmania, the tablelands and the Adelaide Hills suit it. It is not for subtropical or tropical gardens.

Soil. Moist but well drained, enriched with compost. It resents both waterlogging and hot dry root runs, so mulch 75mm deep and keep it off the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers and keep water up during flowering. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring is all it needs.

Pruning. Prune immediately after flowering and no later, because next spring's buds form on wood made this summer. Remove crossing or vertical shoots to preserve the layering.

What to expect when it arrives

Two sizes are grown: tube stock and 200mm plants in packs of six. Tubes are young single stemmed plants and take three to four years to show the tiered habit, which makes them the value option for a long row. The 200mm plants already have side branches and flower sooner.

Deciduous stock can arrive bare or sparsely leafed depending on the season, which is normal rather than a fault. Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare options in the deciduous shrub range
• How to create a great hedge
• See what else earns its keep in plants with autumn colour
• For a year round barrier, browse hedging and screening plants

Common questions

Does it lose its leaves in winter?

Yes, it is fully deciduous. That is a genuine trade off if you want privacy all year, though the tiered bare branches are attractive in their own right and the leaves colour before they drop.

Will it grow in Brisbane or the subtropics?

No. It needs the winter chill of a cool or warm temperate garden to flower properly, and subtropical humidity gives poor bud set. Southern and highland gardens are where it performs.

When should I prune it?

Straight after the spring flowers finish. Pruning in autumn or winter removes the wood carrying next season's buds, which is the usual reason a healthy plant does not flower.