They thrive in light shade and will grow in full sun if kept moist at all times. Japanese andromedas require a moist, well-drained soil enriched with 1 part peat moss or leaf mold to 2 parts soil. Plant andromedas in spring or early fall, spacing them 3 to 4 feet apart if grouped. In colder areas, give them a location sheltered from strong wind. Mulch permanently with pine needles, wood chips or chunky peat moss to prevent roots from drying.
Japanese andromedas are by nature shapely plants, so little pruning is required.
Propagate from stem cuttings taken in late summer or from seed. All are called viburnum. Viburnums are such a varied and important genus of flowering, fruit-bearing shrubs that few generalizations apply to all of them. Various types grow from 2 to over 20 feet in height, and are thus valuable for many garden uses such as shrub borders, informal hedges, screen plantings, plantings near a house or as single plants that are grown to stand by themselves. Like hydrangeas, viburnums have two kinds of blossoms- flowers, incapable of producing berries, and fertile ones, which can produce berries.