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.

Viburnum carlesii commonly called Korean spice viburnum is an 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 Sept/early October to reveal 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 red in fall, but may sometimes display attractive shades of wine-red to burgundy.

Specific epithet honors William Richard Carles (c. 1867-1900) of the British consular service in China who collected plants in Korea.