The illustrated growing guide
Koreanspice Viburnum
Viburnum carlesii
Family Viburnaceae
Est. zones 4-8
Arguably the most fragrant shrub you can grow — pink buds unfurling to white domes that broadcast a rich clove-and-spice perfume across the spring garden, mobbed by bees and butterflies. Compact, tidy, with good fall color, it's ideal by a door or path in a small yard. Just watch for viburnum leaf beetle in affected regions.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Slow-Moderate growth
Attracts butterflies
Attracts beesI
Overview
Will koreanspice viburnum suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
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 at a glance
Common koreanspice viburnum problems
- VIBURNUM LEAF BEETLE (monitor; snip egg-laden twigs in winter)
- Almost none
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow koreanspice viburnum: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate koreanspice viburnum
When to spray koreanspice viburnum
Growing season. Winter twig inspection where leaf beetle is present.
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The year
What koreanspice viburnum asks for, month by month.
The koreanspice viburnum year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The koreanspice viburnum year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr bloom
- May quiet month
- Jun quiet month
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
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.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Koreanspice Viburnum in the garden system
- Shrub layer shrub
- Nectary/insectary
What koreanspice viburnum is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesBerries mildly toxic raw (birds fine)
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.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of koreanspice viburnum, ruled as a catalogue.
Best koreanspice viburnum varieties & cultivars
'Aurora' (red buds); 'Compactum' (dwarf); 'Cayuga' (hybrid, disease-tougher)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to koreanspice viburnumyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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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.
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Elsewhere
Where koreanspice viburnum sits in the library.
Rose
Hydrangea
Common Lilac
Forsythia