Koreanspice Viburnum
Viburnum carlesii
Family Viburnaceae
Koreanspice viburnum may be the most fragrant shrub in cultivation — pink buds opening into white snowball domes that broadcast a rich clove-and-spice perfume across the whole spring garden, no leaning-in required. Bees and early butterflies mob it while it holds the neighborhood's attention.
At a tidy four to six feet, it fits beside a door or along a walk where the perfume pays daily rent, then colors nicely in fall. With another viburnum nearby, birds get a crop of dark berries too. Small yard, one shrub slot? This is the pick.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Slow-Moderate growth
Attracts butterflies
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing koreanspice viburnum? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries koreanspice viburnum — Viburnum carlesii, print Nº 264, “Koreanspice Viburnum.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what koreanspice viburnum actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-8Koreanspice Viburnum · Common problems
Common koreanspice viburnum problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- VIBURNUM LEAF BEETLE (monitor; snip egg-laden twigs in winter)
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Koreanspice Viburnum · Growing & propagation
Growing koreanspice viburnum
- Light
- Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water
- Moderate
Soil- Rich, well-drained · pH 6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer- Light spring feed
Pruning- After flowering
Perhaps the most fragrant of all shrubs — pink buds opening to white snowball clusters that pour out a rich, spicy-sweet clove perfume you can smell across the yard in spring, alive with bees and butterflies. Compact and well-behaved with good wine-red fall color. Watch for viburnum leaf beetle. One of the best fragrant shrubs for a small garden.
Spacing- 4-6 ft
How to plant & propagate koreanspice viburnum
- Propagate
- Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering
Koreanspice Viburnum · Seasonal care & spray guidance
The koreanspice viburnum growing playbook
When to spray koreanspice viburnum
Growing season. Winter twig inspection where leaf beetle is present.
Koreanspice Viburnum · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Koreanspice Viburnum · Yearly calendar
The koreanspice viburnum year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomApril
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Koreanspice Viburnum · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Viburnum carlesii
Koreanspice Viburnum in the garden system
- Shrub layer shrub
- Nectary/insectary
- Attracts
- Butterflies, Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What koreanspice viburnum is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesBerries mildly toxic raw (birds fine)
Use- Best-in-class fragrance
- Use
- Spring pollinators
- Use
- Compact shrub
Harvesting & storing koreanspice viburnum
Black berries feed birds (better fruit set with a different viburnum nearby).
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Koreanspice Viburnum · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a koreanspice viburnum variety
'Aurora' (red buds); 'Compactum' (dwarf); 'Cayuga' (hybrid, disease-tougher)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Koreanspice Viburnum
Viburnum carlesii
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Viburnum carlesii
- Plant family
- Viburnaceae
- Growth habit
- Shrub · Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- VICA19
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
for Koreanspice Viburnum
Research from these sources
Publisher marks identify sources, not sponsorship or endorsement.
Questions
Koreanspice Viburnum questions, answered straight.
Is koreanspice viburnum safe for kids and pets?
With care. Berries mildly toxic raw (birds fine) Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
When do you harvest koreanspice viburnum?
Black berries feed birds (better fruit set with a different viburnum nearby).
How do you propagate koreanspice viburnum?
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
Elsewhere
Where koreanspice viburnum sits in the library.
Rose
Hydrangea
Common Lilac
Forsythia