Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
← Back to the library

Korean Spice Viburnum

Viburnum carlesii (vih-BUR-num KARLS-ee-eye kom-PAK-tum)

Family: Viburnaceae Non-native Shrub (3-15 ft)

Korean Spice Viburnum is a slow-growing shorter version of the species, growing 3-4 ft tall and wide with a rounded form. The flowers are showy and fragrant with a cinnamon scent and appear in April. The smaller size of this viburnum makes it useful for smaller yards and gardens. Flowers are followed by a blue-black drupe. The fall color is dull red. Korean Spice Viburnum prefers sun to partial shade in average, medium moist, acidic, well-drained soil. Use as a foundation shrub, in shrub borders, as a hedge, and to attract butterflies and birds. The plant will tolerate pruning, but keep in mind that next season's blossoms appear on old growth. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases. More information on Viburnum carlesii .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 54 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Viburnum davidii Viburnum dilatatum 'Oneida' Viburnum x juddii
Native alternatives Viburnum rafinesqueanum

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 7a, 7b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Multi-stemmed; Rounded
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Brown/Copper; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
2-4 inch long ovate dark green leaves; non-showy dull red fall color.
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small fragrant flowers on dense, rounded 2 to 3 in. cyme; pink to red buds open white in April.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Black; Blue
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit detail
Blue-black drupe in fall
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Asia
Wildlife value
Mildly resistant to damage by deer. Butterflies are attracted to the flowers and birds to the fruits.
Attracts
Pollinators; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Drupe
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Small Space
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Accent; Foundation Planting; Hedge; Mass Planting
Garden tags
#deciduous #deer resistant #showy flowers #specimen #shrub #fragrant flowers #white flowers #small shrub #foundation planting #full sun tolerant #partial shade tolerant #bird friendly #butterfly friendly #hedge #shrub border #bat friendly #moth friendly
Problems & Resistance
Other problems
Purple Mite
Resistant to
Black Walnut; Deer

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.