Tips for Cultivating and Maintaining Korean Spice Viburnum

The Korean spice viburnum, scientifically called Viburnum carlesii, is an attractive deciduous flowering shrub that will add a lovely fragrance to any garden during the spring season. Its oval-shaped dark green leaves have serrated edges, and it produces clusters of white blooms with hints of pink in early spring, emitting a clove-like scent that is simply delightful. If pollinated correctly, the flowers will eventually transform to small, non-showy berry-like drupes in late summer. The autumn leaves are usually reddish in color that later turns to purplish, but some varieties even exhibit a brilliant orange color in fall.

Since it is a slow-growing plant, the best time to plant the Korean spice viburnum is during spring, which gives the shrub enough time to establish a strong root system before the winter season arrives. It usually grows 1 to 2 feet every year until it reaches its mature size of approximately 6 feet. Some cultivars, however, are shorter and grow even slower, taking at least three years to mature and start producing blooms. To grow this beautiful shrub, make sure to provide moist, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH level, and place it in a spot with full or partial sun exposure. This species is native to Korea and Japan and is rated for hardiness zones 4 to 7 according to USDA regulations.

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The image was captured by Evgeniya Vlasova for The Spruce.

To care for your Korean Spice Viburnum, plant it in well-draining soil in a sunny or partially shaded location. Make sure to keep the soil moist but not wet, watering weekly in most areas, and ensure good air circulation by spacing shrubs 4 to 6 feet apart. To promote blooms, fertilize with a slow-release tree and shrub fertilizer in the spring, but avoid feeding late in the summer. Pruning is best done just after flowering to promote further branching and remove dead branches. Propagation can be done through softwood cuttings taken in the spring. While viburnums are generally hardy, they may need protection against cold in borderline regions. Common problems include leaf curl due to aphids and branch die-back from drought or pests, such as the viburnum crown borer.