April’s Practically Perfect Plant –
The Korean Spice Viburnum is one of my favorite shrubs, and that says a lot because shrubs are probably my favorite type of garden plant. It is hardy in USDA zones 4 – 8 and handles sun to part shade. This plant is not fussy, and it rewards you every spring with heavenly scented, gorgeous light pink flower clusters that, as the shrub matures, will completely cover the plant. Korean Spice Viburnums bloom well even in part shade! Bloom time is just ahead of lilacs.
Mmmm… That Smell!
When plants are very young they grow few flowers, but even one or two flower clusters make enough fabulous fragrance that you can catch a whiff just wandering past. But each year, the shrub will produce more and more flower clusters until the shrub is smothered with them and the fragrance is powerful enough to be detected across a decent sized suburban yard. I just love the smell of Korean Spice Viburnum flowers and look forward to them every spring! Plant one close to your patio or windows to enjoy the scent while in bloom.
And Easy on the Eyes
Korean Spice Viburnums are extremely attractive shrubs, even when not in bloom. They keep a neat rounded shape with very little pruning required and the leaves are a nice deep green. This is a deciduous viburnum. In the fall, the leaves turn a stunning burgundy and even purple before dropping. They grow somewhat slowly to a nice size of 5-8 feet tall and wide.
Low Maintenance
Mulch well after planting and water regularly and deeply for the first two years. Once established, they really just need a good soak about once a week. If they are in a location where they get full sun all day long, they may require additional watering.
The only problem I have known the Korean Spice Viburnum to have is that the branches can be pretty brittle. This is rarely a problem, as they don’t grow leaves too terribly early in spring to get hit with a late season snow, but it does occasionally happen. If there is a very late spring snow that hits after the shrubs have already grown their leaves, you may have some branches break, however, if you trim out the broken limbs after the snow melts, the shrubs bounce back quite quickly and fill in amazingly well!
You can’t go wrong with a Korean Spice Viburnum. This stunning shrub has so much going for it! If you are looking for a gorgeous looking medium sized shrub that smells unbelievably delicious in spring and is a complete eye catcher in fall, look no further than the Korean Spice Viburnum!
Learn about more Practically Perfect Plants.