As with all our viburnums, these plants are offered on their own roots becasue we propagate them vegetatively from cuttings, we do not graft them. The latter is a common practice, particularly on the continent, for commercial reasons because it produces a larger, saleable plant more quickly. However, we prefer to do things properly and play the long game. Grafted viburnums will sucker. There's nothing that can be done to prevent it and the suckers will quickly take over the plant and ruin it. The only solution then is the compost heap! Ours will grow naturally, producing a beautiful multistemmed specimen. If you want to clean off some of the lower horizontal side branches to facilitate underplanting or maintenance, then that's absolutely fine. I would do any pruning in the summer, when the plant is active and the wounds will heal quickly. Let the plant get established first or you will weaken it, and then do it a little at a time each year. That way the stems will thicken and become nicely sturdy. The horizontal nature of the branches make these perfect companions for spring bulbs, particularly those like snowdrops which hate to be too wet in summer. The emerging canopy will provide them with a very nice umbrella! 

The other important principle to understand with this species is that it comes in two flavours - V. plicatum f. plicatum (which is usually just written as V. plicatum) and V. plicatum f. tomentosum. The former produces globular heads of sterile bracts as opposed to true flowers, which is why they are sometimes known as the Japanese snowball bush. f. tomentosum cultivars on the other hand, produce a flat head of lacy fertile flowers, usually with a ring of sterile bracts around the outside nicely giving colour and contrast. These cultivars therefore will often produce berries known as drupes. These are bright red and are seen much earlier in the summer than most berries, typically in late July. As a result they are a popular treat for robins and other fruit eating birds.

All cultivars of V. plicatum, regardless of which form, are easily grown; in this country preferring full sun and good drainage to perform to their full spectacular potential.