To create an idea board, sign in or create an account. Their vibrant color will create a pop of color in your border until those first frosts settle in. The species is native to the eastern United States. When the seedling is robust, plant it in a small container and let it establish a root system. Characteristics Plant Type: Shrub Shrub Type: Deciduous Height Category: Short Garden Height: 24 - 36 Inches Spacing: 24 - 36 Inches Spread: 24 - 36 Inches Flower Colors: White Foliage Colors: Green Foliage Shade: Green Habit: Mounded Container Role: Filler Plant Needs Light Requirement: Full Shade He's planted in a alkaline soil with some shade. Does well in sun or shade, dry or wet soil, all types of soil (normal, clay or sandy) & nice red fall color! The plant belongs to one of only two genera in the Clethraceae (white alder) family, with Purdiaea being the other genus. Politique d'Utilisation des Cookies de Houzz. Flea beetles can be handled with neem oil, while leaf spot is remedied through neem oil, baking soda solutions, copper fungicide, or copper and pyrethrins. The fall color on this plant is brilliant. Sweetspire is an easy-care shrub, about four feet by four feet (1.2 by 1.2 meters) at maturity that isn't fussy about soil or weather conditions. USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9. A: I've seen occasional fungal leaf-spotting on Virginia sweetspires, but scale attack isn't common. Height 2.5-3 Feet Tall. It also attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Tolerates clay soils. Lots of good points here on things to consider. It enjoys excellent resistance to insects and diseases. Sweetspires are supposedly versatile and not picky about soil, but I see them doing best in damp soil that's well drained, rich in organic matter, and sited in morning sun and afternoon shade. Root suckering will be most prevalent with shrubs planted in wet ground. Definitely loved by the deer and it colonizes out of control. In colder areas, sweetspire may experience a bit of weather damage coming out of winter, so prune any dead wood out after new growth has begun. * Required | We will never sell or distribute your email to any other parties or organizations. It enjoys, Promptly remove root suckers unless a naturalized look is desired. Mass or group in lawns, foundations or shrub borders. Also only grows to 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide, so it can be placed in almost any corner of the landscape without overcrowding other plants! Equally as pretty in the fall with it's bright orange foliage. ProblemsFungal dieback and root rot can occur. In a partial shade spot, another clethra does not flower nearly as well. Summersweet is tolerant of a range of garden conditions including shade . Its mounded, compact stature makes it an improvement over older varieties such as the old favorite 'Henry's Garnet'. For a much larger shrub, go with Hollyleaf Sweetspire which can grow up to 12 feet high. In the northern part of the hardiness range, winter cold may cause dieback of the branch tips. I planted this spring. Place your shrub in the hole, gently spreading out the roots, and then backfill to ground level and water well. There could be several reasons why your Virginia sweetspire isn't blooming, and the first of those reasons is waternot nearly enough of it. They will tolerate short periods of drought but perform best when they receive regular water. | Letter from the Editor, Watch Out for New Garden Pests Heading This Way, Designing a Beautiful Back BorderPlanting Plan. If desired, fertilize in spring with a granular fertilizer formulated for trees and shrubs, like a rose fertilizer. Size. Je peux rejeter les cookies non essentiels en cliquant sur Grer mes prfrences . Houzz Pro: One simple solution for contractors and design pros, Its bottlebrush flowers attract bees and butterflies, while its stunning orange and scarlet foliage draws all who pass by, Personnaliser mon exprience l'aide de cookies, Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers, Outdoor Lighting & Audio/Visual Specialists, Tempe Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers, Redondo Beach Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers, Saint Louis Park Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers, Adrian Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures, Bonney Lake Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures, Wildomar Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures, Great Design Plant: Wildlife-Loving Dwarf Fothergilla Blazes in Fall. Does anybody grow Moonlight in paris or tamora rose? They suggested cutting back at least the older, thicker stems to the ground. Once the roots became established, summersweet bush is somewhat drought tolerant, but avoid letting the soil dry out completely. It works well in a naturalized landscape or garden. The runners arent extremely aggressive. Once roots are establishedat least five weeks, but likely longeryou can bring your cuttings outside to plant in your garden. A profusion of fragrant white flower spikes attract butterflies. Ruby Spice Summersweet shrub is a huge color breakthrough for summersweet shrubs that features rich rose-pink blooms that are a first for flowering Clethra. We'll see how the plants perform Spring and Summer before making a final decision on the plants. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources. Then when you're not expecting anything more, green summer foliage changes to a brilliant multitude of oranges and reds in the fall, making Little Henry a rewarding experience through out all seasons. Summersweet can tolerate salty air and even salt spray from nearby streets in urban areas. A dwarf summersweet shrub with fragrant white flowers and a dense, rounded shape. They were both planted on a small slope, with sun until early afternoon, and have been absolutely great the entire time. Prefers part shade and consistently moist, acidic, sandy soils. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. I'm starting to see some of the red fall color! Severe cases can kill the plant. When planted right and in the right spot, Clethra, also called summersweet or sweet pepperbush, are very easy to grow. However, it might develop flea beetles or leaf spot. Burning Bush is a plant quite similar to this one, though it is more susceptible to disease and pests. It was discovered in 1992 as a sport of C. alnifolia Pink Spire. In colder areas, sweetspire may experience a bit of weather damage coming out of winter, so prune any dead wood out after new growth has begun. Except for fertilization and minor pruning, this plant is maintenance-free. Softwood stem cuttings, taken in early summer, are the best way to propagate summersweet. It grows well in both full sun and partial shade, though it will achieve the best shape, flower color, and fall color in full sun. As noted by others it depends on your preferred features. Though this native plant is much beloved for its sweetly scented summer blooms, not all plants exhibit equally strong fragrance, so it was our primary goal in introducing our next variety. I'm in zone 5, mid Missouri. Looking forward to hopefully having blooms next year. The shallow root system is suckering and tends to form clumps. The shrub grows best in partial shade and a moist, slightly acid soil. Store them in a sealed container, tucked away in the refrigerator until spring rolls around. Thanks. When the pH of the soil creeps above 7.0, Virginia sweetspire is prone to developing chlorosis. Shady conditions may limit the flower production and mute the autumn color. Vanessa Richins Myers has a BS in horticulture and over 10 years of training and experience as a professional horticulturist and gardener. I planted two of the LIttle Henry shrubs in a western exposure that gets afternoon sun and heat. The flowers are produced on vertical flower spikes about 6 inches long that protrude from the glossy green foliage. Julie Thompson-Adolf is a Master Gardener and author. 20 Fragrant Flowering Plants In landscape design, they are especially effective massed or grouped in sunny or shady flowering shrub borders, butterfly and hummingbird gardens. About the bees, well anything with flowers will have bees temporarily. Soil: moist to wet soil; pH 4.5-6.5. If you dont want your shrubs to naturalize, simply clip away the suckers from the base of the plant to maintain a more formal appearance. Prefers moist, acidic, sandy soil but will also tolerate clay soil if its amended with compost to improve drainage. I have a grouping of Little Henry Sweetspire right near my patio and love it. Then watch for a return of the leaf-spotting and scale. Water seedlings as needed, then plant when they're sturdy. Available in better garden centers in spring 2019. Be inspired with our Gardener's Idea Book and Winner's Circle newsletter, Little Henry - Sweetspire - Itea virginica. Propagation Take greenwood cuttings in early summer. Itea virginica. Keep in a high-humidity area, and cover with plastic. Noteworthy CharacteristicsFragrant flowers. Suggested Use: Hedge, Naturalize, Rain Garden, Tolerate: Heavy Shade, Erosion, Clay Soil, Wet Soil. In such climates, plant it along woodland edges where it gets partial shade, which will help the plants stay cool and thrive. Densely-branched, rounded, this summer-flowering shrub spreads slowly by suckers and typically grows 2-4 feet tall (60-120 cm) with a spread of 3-5 ft. (90-150 cm). Not fussy about soil pH. Native from southern New Jersey down to Florida, it is winter hardy to Zone 5 . Slow-growing summersweet's leaves are obovate and serrated, 1 1/2- to 4-inches long, and change from a glossy dark green in summer to yellow or brown in the fall. Get the latest how-to and design inspiration articles plus special offers sent straight to your inbox. Propagate by cuttings. This is a good plant for woodland gardens or at the front of the mixed border. We use cookies on this website, you can read about them here. Enhancing the prolific floral display are lustrous green leaves that turn brilliant golden-yellow in fall. are just awful for about a week each year thanks to the bees. Get daily tips & tricks to help make your best home, How to Grow and Care for Japanese Barberry, How to Grow and Care for Mexican Bush Sage, How to Grow and Care for Kohuhu (Pittosporum tenuifolium), How to Grow and Care for Chinese Snowball Viburnum, How to Grow and Care for Rockspray Cotoneaster, Summersweet, sweet pepperbush, clethra, coastal sweet pepperbush, poor man's soap. Choose Options. If you want to give these a go, Id suggest to try to buy when they are in bloom to see if they have a scent. An area with morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal. There is also at least one dwarf clethra available. In early spring, fertilize your summersweet with a slow-release formula meant for trees and shrubs. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. If so, and the site is suitable, maybe do a mixed planting. This plant can work in a variety of soil pHs, types, and moisture levels. NC State Extension Service Plant Finder. She is a former Clemson University Extension Agent. No problems, no diseases, not fussy at all and both have grown to 3'x3' with plenty of flowers and great Fall color. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. I see them struggle the most in full sun, compacted clay and heat- and drought-prone spots. Red and Black Chokeberry. Mary has been a Master Gardener for 30+ years and a commercial and residential gardener for 50+ years. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas. Summersweet seeds are easy to plant and they germinate quickly; seeds can be harvested in autumn and have no specific storage needs. Grow taller varieties as hedges or privacy screens or as a backdrop in a perennial garden. Virginia sweetspire grows quite well in very hot conditions, provided it gets plenty of water. Not sure which Clethra to pick?Compare All Clethra, Buy Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' (Summersweet). Work in a bit of pelleted sulfur or organic matter, such as sawdust or leaves. This shrub flowers on new wood, so pruning for shape is best done in spring. The only common problems that this shrub faces are spider mites. Its small size makes it perfect for smaller borders and beds. 'Sixteen Candles' is a compact rounded shrub growing slowly to 4-5 feet high and 2-3 feet wide and is suitable for borders, screens or as a specimen plant. Get the latest how-to and design inspiration articles plus special offers sent straight to your inbox. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. This year Henry The spires came and went and absolutely no smell at all. As bboy says, there are dwarf choices for each. My understanding is both summersweet and virginia sweetspire would be good potential candidates for this location, but was wondering if one would be better suited (i.e. Opening from bottom to top, they are very attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, at a time of the year when there's not a wealth of nectars to choose from. They were beautiful in the fall, changing to shades of red, and held their leaves for a while. Features fragrant, tiny white flowers borne in cylindrical, drooping racemes (3-6" long) which cover the shrub . It is a rounded, suckering, densely-branched, deciduous shrub that typically grows to 3-6 (less frequently to 8) tall and is noted for producing a mid to late summer bloom of sweetly fragrant white flowers which appear in narrow, upright panicles (racemes to 2-6" long). | Letter from the Editor, Watch Out for New Garden Pests Heading This Way, Designing a Beautiful Back BorderPlanting Plan. You say to plant "around" the patio, does that mean you are looking at planting several? Also appropriate for moist soils along stream banks or pond/water garden peripheries. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Noteworthy Characteristics. Little Henry is a useful native plant with lots of potential for the home landscape. I've seen some new growth in the month or so since planted. This was a big selling point for me and I would have chosen something else for the area of my garden where I was really looking forward to the scent. Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Root greenwood cuttings in early summer. 3 5 comments Best Add a Comment halfbajan 2 yr. ago Hi there! of the member-only content library. Wow, So much info. I have a grouping of Little Henry Sweetspire right near my patio and love it. Summersweet is a versatile shrub that thrives in most climates and is suitable as a specimen plant or a hedge. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Virginia sweetspire does well during the winter, though those in colder climates might see some dieback of the tips of the shrub during the harsh cold. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. For one thing, they're survivors that'll often keep coming back year after year even though they're suffering disease or bug issues. Summer Sparkler Summersweet, Summer Sweet, Einstein Summersweet, Novacleein, or Clethra Alnifolia, is a compact, heavy-blooming, deciduous shrub packed with 12-inch floriferous spires of twisted, fragrant blooms, reminiscent of Albert Einstein's trademark hair. BEST SMELL,I have it at my front porch. . Prune as needed to maintain the desired shape and remove dead, diseased, and damaged branches. Provide moist, humus-rich, slightly acidic, well . Get complete site access to expert advice, regional content, and more, plus the print magazine. Find plants you love and create idea boards for all your projects. Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica; Zones 5-9) enjoys the same cultural requirements as summersweet and it will do fine in a regular garden setting as long as the soil is relatively moist. To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of our site. Only plants will be removed from the collection. This shrub usually grows to 3 to 6 feet in height, but can be up to 8-feet tall. This Sugartina has fragrant white flowers that appear by mid-summer. Its fragrant, bottlebrush flowers are a darker pink; they attract butterflies, bees, and other insects in late summer and early fall. This may sound drastic, but what I'd probably do in your case is whack back all growth to the ground and burn or get rid of the wood. It will grow in full sun to full shade, and requires little pruning or other maintenance. This shrub usually grows to 3 to 6 feet in height, but can be up to 8-feet tall. Bury the seed one inch in the soil and keep it moist. Plant summersweet in an area that receives full sun to part shade. I'd improve the soil in the new location with an inch or two of compost worked into the loosened top 10 or 12 inches of existing soil. I find the fragrance of the Clethra more dramatic but find the fall foliage of 'Little Henry' one of the best fall foliage plants. Also the facts that should be considered when making a choice:-itea could tolerate both, full sun and part-shade, while clethra prefer to be in a more shady locations,-fall foliage of itea is very attractive crimson-burgundy, while clethra's is yellow-bronze,-itea blooms on old wood and could be/should be pruned if necessary right after the bloom, clethra blooms on a new wood and could be/should be pruned in early spring,-itea leafs out early, while clethra stays 'naked' till May. Loaded with fragrant blooms every spring which last into summer - always evoking comments from visitors. Perfectly suited for covering large banks, beds and borders. Water regularly to keep the soil moist, especially during the first growing season. Pollinators liked them. A compact cultivar bearing large clusters of clove-scented white flowers that are irresistible to bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. I admire it daily as I walk past it and it feels like it is different every day. This shrub is easy to grow in any average, well-drained soil that has medium to wet moisture levels. The showy bottlebrush-like flower clusters, some nearly a foot long, continue for weeks on end, attracting a steady parade of butterflies and bees with their seductive fragrance. A versatile shrub for shrub borders, open woodland gardens, foundations . Compact size makes this an ideal flowering shrub for smaller gardens. About 4 to 6 feet apart, depending on the size at maturity and the intended use. Good flowering shrub for shade or woodland gardens. Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device. SUMMERSWEET VARIETIES LANDSCAPING IDEAS BASICS Zones: 4-9 Plant type: Deciduous shrub Native area: Eastern and southern North America Exposure: Full sun to part shade Mature size: Typically 3 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide, with the exception of dwarf varieties Growth rate: Slow Bloom time: Merlot Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica 'Merlot'): Merlot sweetspire is a cultivar (cultivated variety) of Virginia sweetspire which is native to the moist partly-shaded areas of the south-eastern United States. Slow growing; reaches 3 to 4 ft. tall, slightly wider. This compact selection reaches 3 to 5 feet tall. Control can be as simple as spraying the leaves (front and back) with water to knock them off, though further intervention with horticultural oils may be needed if mites are persistent. Common Name: sweet pepperbush Type: Deciduous shrub Family: Clethraceae Zone: 4 to 8 Height: 4.00 to 6.00 feet Spread: 3.00 to 5.00 feet Bloom Time: July to August Bloom Description: Rose pink Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium to wet Maintenance: Low Suggested Use: Hedge, Naturalize, Rain Garden Flower: Showy, Fragrant Leaf: Good Fall More about the newsletter. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). Summersweet spreads slowly by suckering roots and will colonize over time. This plant is best grown in full sun, part shade or full shade in average, medium to wet, slightly acid, well-drained soils. However, I did not get any blooms this year. I am disappointed in the lack of scent, especially given its name, so for this alone I would rate the shrub as 3 stars. Photo by: Tim Ludwig / Millette Photomedia. Finally, give the plants a good soaking and try to keep them damp throughout at least this first summer. Thanks. One of its most attractive characteristics is to produce great blooms in shady locations. On this page: Basics | Planting | Care | Summersweet Varieties | Landscaping Ideas, Typically 3 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide, with the exception of dwarf varieties, Mid to late summer, with the blooms lasting 4 to 6 weeks, Glossy, dark green, and oval-shaped, with serrated margins. The Best Deer Resistant Plants for Your Garden I'd hate to give up on sweetspire because it's a pretty plant when it's healthy. Consistent moisture in well-draining soil is a must. Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), a native shrub, provides landscape interest across the seasons. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BUSH TO ANYONE That likes a good fragrance and very pretty.

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