Viburnum plicatum Pinkawai®

The Viburnum plicatum Pinkawai® is a dwarf form of the Chinese viburnum, well-suited to small gardens and container cultivation. This deciduous bush possesses all the qualities of the species: a lovely tiered habit, spring flowering in broad pink corymbs turning white, followed by decorative fruiting. Not exceeding 1.20m in height, it finds its place in borders, on a terrace, or at the forefront of a shrubbery scene.

This viburnum belongs to the Adoxaceae family (formerly Caprifoliaceae). The botanical species is native to East Asia: mainland China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, where it grows in woodland edges and slopes. Pinkawai® is a horticultural selection marketed by Belgian nurseries.
The habit of this bush is bushy, ramified into horizontal tiers, naturally compact. It reaches 80 to 100 cm in height with a spread of 50 to 100 cm in open ground or a large container, with mature specimens remaining significantly smaller than the type species.
The flowering occurs from mid-April to June; some sources note a slight repeat in autumn. The inflorescences are flattened corymbs (cymes), comparable to those of certain hydrangeas. They are composed of a crown of sterile flowers surrounding very small fertile flowers: the buds open first pink, then the corymbs lighten to white over the weeks. The sterile flowers measure 2 to 3 cm in diameter, with an entire corymb reaching 7 to 10 cm. After flowering, 1 cm ovoid drupes appear, first red, turning bluish-black at ripeness, appreciated by birds. The leaves, opposite, ovate and finely dentate, show a characteristic plicate nervature; dark green in season, they can take on a purple tint in autumn depending on exposure. The branchlets are brownish, well-tiered. The hardiness of Pinkawai is rated to -15 °C.

Place this Pinkawai® viburnum at the forefront of a partially shaded border, in a humus-bearing, cool, but well-drained soil, sheltered from dry winds. Its small stature makes it perfectly suited to cultivation in a large pot on the terrace. Pair it with a Japanese maple 'Katsura' for its sublime foliage, with the golden Japanese forest grass Hakonechloa macra Aureola for movement, and with the delicate flowers of Hydrangea serrata Avelroz or the Japanese spirea 'Goldflame'. Avoid chalky soils and water in summer if it is dry.

The "tiered" habit of Viburnum plicatum has long been sought after in Japanese-inspired gardens, where these viburnums structure spring scenes; botanical literature also notes that the species can layer naturally by branches lying down: old specimens can form broad carpets over time.