If you are talking about its growth relating to the summer snowflake pic shown on the link, that is its natural form. Of course if it were not surrounded by other shrubs, it would be much wider that it is and maybe shorter, maybe not.

What do you mean by tree form? It will attain height no matter what but are you asking if you can remove the lower branches and foliage to see the trunk(s)? Or do you just want it to be a certain height?

John

to my eye.. the linked pix.. show the HUGE potential of your plant ...

they will never stop growing.. and attaining size ...

and if you have limited space.. i wonder why you would want 3 of them ...

i lived next to a funeral home.. with 30 to 40 year old viburnum .. and they were 20 to 25 feet tall.. and at least the same wide ... and i can see that potential in the pix at the link ... and do note.. that none of them are planted in a foundation bed ....

any chance at a pic of your plan ... or the site.. or some further information on your thinking regarding the POTENTIAL of size in regard to your plan??

ken

'Summer Snowflake' is a dense shrubby plant. I see this plant labeled at 3-5' mature size. But reality it will grow to about 8-10'.

It takes alot of pruning to get a tree form. Here is mine (not a named cultivar). I'm about 50' away from where I took this pic. Its about 8-10' from the Picea glauca 'Pendula'.

{{gwi:240253}}

That is pretty cool whaas. My first guess would definitely not be viburnum. Well done man. Is it a species plicatum ?

That is pretty cool whaas. My first guess would definitely not be viburnum. Well done man. Is it a species plicatum ?

Sure is! I didn't do the work but I did find it and plant it!

Ken, I'm not savvy enough to know how to take a pdf file scanned to my E-mail and post it here - wish I were.

The plan allows for maximum 6-8 feet in width with two of the Viburnums partially growing under the canopies of other deciduous trees (Bloodgood and Serviceberry). They are being used as anchors in a planting bed; one along SE fence, W fence and N fence. Placing plants that will likely outgrow alloted space is an issue I've encountered with a number of designers and it is driving me crazy.

Whaas I can't wait to see your photo but it will have to wait until I get to another computer, I'm at work and cannot access photobucket from here.

danell~I'm sure you'll get lots of free advice here, but I can tell you for sure that the picture you posted is of a plant pruned into a low-growing form, as that is what the caption on it says.
I would use oak leaf hydrangeas (H. quercifolia) or Viburnum carlesii in place of V. plicatum and some other tree in place of the maple, as maples have shallow roots and dislike plantings other than groundcovers under them in my personal experience.
A redbud planted with the serviceberry would give a pretty springtime show of pink and white flowers. Forest Pansy is a purple leafed form.