Viburnum plicatum, commonly known as Japanese snowball or wedding cake viburnum, is renowned for its stunning spherical flower clusters resembling snowballs, and layered branches that suggest its common name – the wedding cake bush. Family: The full botanical name is Viburnum plicatum ‘Mariesii’, and it is part of the honeysuckle family, the Caprifoliaceae, which also includes deutzia, weigela and snowberry. The name of the honeysuckle family is Latin for goat leaf from capri meaning goat and folius meaning leaf. The word plicatum is Latin for pleated, which the leaves are. ‘Mariesii’ refers to French botanist Jean Marie Delavay. This shrub is native to China and Japan.