Sweet, honeyed floral with a green-leafy backdrop and a spicy (clove-like) undercurrent. Richer than privet, less narcotic than jasmine, with a domestic-garden quality. V. carlesii specifically is intensely sweet, almost daphne-like, with a warmth that fills a room. The green stems add a vegetal counterpoint to the heavy nectar.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Sweet, honeyed floral burst with green-spicy facets
After a few hours
After a few hours
Warm nectar quality, clove-like spiciness softens
After a few days
After a few days
Faint sweet-green residue, gentle and floral
Terroir & Origins
Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.
The Full Story
Viburnum encompasses a large genus (over 150 species) of shrubs in the Adoxaceae family, several of which have fragrant flowers. Viburnum carlesii (Koreanspice viburnum) is the most powerfully scented species, with a sweet, spicy, almost clove-like floral character. Viburnum opulus (Guelder rose) and V. tinus also have distinct scents.
The scent profile varies by species but generally combines a honey-sweet floral quality with green-leafy notes and, in some species, a faintly narcotic or indolic undertone. Viburnum carlesii in full bloom has a daphne-like richness — sweet, heady, almost cloying in enclosed spaces.
There is no commercial viburnum essential oil or absolute. The note is reconstructed in perfumery using combinations of linalool, benzyl benzoate, eugenol (for the spicy quality), and sweet floral bases. It remains a niche reference point rather than a common ingredient.
Viburnum opulus berries were a traditional food source in Russia and Scandinavia, where they were made into jams and beverages. The berries contain viburnin, a bitter compound that must be cooked or frozen before consumption to reduce toxicity.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: No commercial viburnum essential oil or absolute exists. The flowers' volatile compounds include linalool, terpineol, benzyl benzoate, and eugenol, but no extraction at scale has been developed. The note is always reconstructed synthetically.
Viburnum is a reconstructed floral note used in garden-floral and green-sweet compositions. No commercial extract exists, so perfumers build the accord from linalool, benzyl benzoate, eugenol, indole (trace), and honey materials. It provides a spring-garden character — sweet floral hedgerows with green depth. Functions as a heart note in floral-green and romantic compositions. Pairs with lilac, wisteria, and other spring flower accords.
