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Perennials Shrubs Garden

Viburnum suckers?

last month

Was out doing some late wonter pruning and noticed what seem to be a number of suckers on an otherwise healthy viburnum mariseii. Should these be treated like suckers on a tree (ie, remove to point of origin)? Or should these be left to fill in? Plant is relatively new, maybe 2 years old. Very large and vigorous.

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Comments (2)

floraluk2
last month
last modified: last month
It's not a tree, it's a naturally suckering shrub. It's perfectly healthy. You can take out older stems periodically to rejuvenate the plant.
HU-918119203 thanked floraluk2
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last month
It is important to remember that one of the primary features of this shrub is its layered, heavily tiered growth habit. One of the reasons it is sometimes referred to as the "wedding cake" shrub. Those layers are what shows off those upward rows of paired flowers that make it such a spectacular springtime show. For that reason, I would certainly thin out a majority of those straight, vertically growing suckers, leaving just a few (3?, 5?) of the largest to increase height and fullness.

What you have now is simply too congested.
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