Common Name: Koreanspice viburnum
Type: Deciduous shrub
Family: Adoxaceae
Zone: 4 to 7
Height: 3.50 to 5.00 feet
Spread: 3.50 to 6.00 feet
Bloom Time: March to April
Bloom Description: Light pink to white
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy, Fragrant, Good Cut
Attracts: Birds
Tolerate: Deer, Black Walnut
Culture
Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prune immediately after flowering since flower buds form in summer for the following year.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Viburnum carlesii commonly called Koreanspice viburnum is a slow-growing, upright, rounded, deciduous shrub which typically matures to 4-5' tall but may reach a height of 8' in optimum growing conditions. Red buds open in late March/early April to pink-changing-to-white flowers which are arranged in snowball-like clusters (hemispherical cymes) to 3" across. Flowers are very fragrant. Flowers give way to non-showy, berry-like drupes which mature to blue-black in late summer. Broad ovate, serrate, dark green leaves (to 4" long) are infrequently flushed with copper. Foliage usually turns dull red in fall, but may sometimes display attractive shades of wine-red to burgundy.
Genus name comes from the Latin name of a species plant.
Specific epithet honors William Richard Carles (c. 1867-1900) of the British consular service in China who collected plants in Korea.
'SMVCB' was bred by Timothy D. Wood of Spring Meadow Nursery Inc. in Grand Haven, Michigan and is commonly sold as SPICE BABY™. It originated from an open-pollination of Viburnum carlesii `Compactum` as the seed parent and an unknown selection of Viburnum carlesii as the pollen parent. It is a compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading shrub that has broad ovate, serrate, dark green leaves (to 4" long). Its large inflorescences have numerous fragrant light pink to white, 5-petaled flowers. It is a Proven Winners® Color Choice™ selection and is considered suitable for container gardening, growing 3 1/2 to 5 ft. tall and 3 1/2 to 6 ft. wide. United States Plant Patent PP#25,872 awarded September 8, 2015.
Problems
Bacterial leaf spot, powdery mildew, viburnum crown borers, and Armillaria root rot are occasional problems.
Uses
Plant in groups or mix with other broadleaf shrubs. Shrub border or foundation plant. May be grown as a hedge. Attractive, highly fragrant flowers are best feature.