Loaded with fragrant blooms every spring which last into summer - always evoking comments from visitors. Provide moist, humus-rich, slightly acidic, well . What is not to love??? Here are ideas for taking advantage of its many attributes: RELATED: The optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours). 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. In the right conditions, it can spread and fill in quickly via suckering roots, making it good for erosion control. As summer progresses shiny, disease-free foliage appears until fall when the foliage turns a stunning garnet-red. Foliage until first hard frost. 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. Stay ahead of any root-suckering that may occur if you do not wish for the bushes to spread. Use in a mixed border with other spring- and summer-blooming shrubs that like moist soils, such as. Summersweet typically spreads to 4 to 6 feet and forms an oval shape. 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. FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Plants, Design Ideas, Gardening Solutions & More! Its branches are dense, making it suitable for hedges or privacy screens (best in summer, of course). Remove lower leaves on the cuttings, dip the ends in rooting hormone, and tuck into a mixture of half perlite and half potting soil. This plant is quite hardy and doesn't have any serious pests to contend with. Softwood stem cuttings, taken in early summer, are the best way to propagate summersweet. 9. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources. So, I'm only rating this plant as satisfactory. Spider mites may be a concern in dry conditions. The foliage is a nice bright green in summer. I am disappointed in the lack of scent, especially given its name, so for this alone I would rate the shrub as 3 stars. May be pruned after blooming if required. Little Henry has lightly scented, pure white flowers that shoot like fireworks in the early summer horizon. Dig a hole that is at least twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. The flowers are notable for their size, how late they bloom, and their ability to bloom even in the shade. Plant this shrub in humusy, well-drained soil that is somewhat on the moist side. But OH MY WORD! We'll see if they make it. This year Henry Noteworthy Characteristics. They were beautiful in the fall, changing to shades of red, and held their leaves for a while. Spring 2020, bloomed nicely but still no scent detected, even up close. There is also at least one dwarf clethra available. Red and Black Chokeberry. To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of our site. BEST SMELL,I have it at my front porch. Serrate, obovate to oblong, glossy dark green leaves (to 3-4 long) turn variable but generally attractive shades of yellow to golden brown in fall. 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. 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: Let us know what you decide. This summersweet is a sport of C. alnifolia Pink Spires. David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. They also suggested as an option pulling the plants and starting over again. Sugartina 'Crystalina' Summersweet. Propagate by cuttings. He's planted in a alkaline soil with some shade. 2023 Proven Winners North America LLC. Sugartina 'Crystalina' summersweet(Clethra alnifolia)Photo by: Proven Winners. It prefers acidic, sandy soil that is moist but will tolerate clay soils, as long as they're amended with organic material, and full shade. It enjoys, Promptly remove root suckers unless a naturalized look is desired. I see them struggle the most in full sun, compacted clay and heat- and drought-prone spots. Noteworthy CharacteristicsA shorter cultivar selected for its sturdy branching system and large (up to 6 inches), upright, white flowering "candles". It is a bright green in the spring and summer and turns orange and red in the fall. of the member-only content library. This shrub is the rare type that divides easily by cutting its root ball into sections, thanks to its prolific suckering habit. 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). Some varieties are shorter than average for the species. Additional feeding during the growing season is not necessary. An area with morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal. Find plants you love and create idea boards for all your projects. Locate a Sunny Spot. NC State Extension Service Plant Finder. Growing Zones: 3-8 . It is a lovely shrub and is doing well (I make sure that it gets enough water, especially during this year's drought) except that it has chlorosis. They bloomed in 2019 no fragrance detected. 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 Spikes of highly fragrant flowers bloom on the current season's woody stems in mid-summer. A good choice for smaller gardens and tight spaces. Any thoughts on these two shrubs? Check these Great Plant Combination Ideas with Clethra, An Eye-Catching Border Idea with colorful Allium and Euphorbia, A Super Climbing Duo with Clematis 'Viola', A Super Climbing Duo with Clematis montana Grandiflora, A Super Climbing Duo with Clematis 'The President', A Super Climbing Trio with Clematis 'Ville de Lyon', A Super Climbing Trio with Clematis and Roses, A Super Climbing Duo with Crimson Roses and Purple Clematis, 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, A2, A3, Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' (Summersweet), 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). Work in a bit of pelleted sulfur or organic matter, such as sawdust or leaves. Not fussy about soil pH. . Water these shrubs quite often when they are young and getting established, then weekly when they mature (one inch per week). Will grow in shade, but flowering and fall color improves when the plant gets at least some sun each day. Noteworthy CharacteristicsFragrant flowers. Itea is one of the few shrubs that will still flower reasonably well even in shade. Create long-lasting, pleasing contrasts in your garden. Their scent will hang beautifully in the air! (George Weigel) Q: My Virginia sweetspire plants have looked awful by summer's end the last two. The shallow root system is suckering and tends to form clumps. Its small stature makes it a nice choice for adding color and scent to perennial gardens. Native to swampy woodlands and marshes, clethra flourish in wet ground and will even tolerate standing water, making them a good choice for low-lying areas of the garden. It will come back strong in the spring. Consistent moisture in well-draining soil is a must. And if I battle the scales, how would I go about it? Accept These shrubs are native to the eastern regions of the United States, where they can be found in woods and thickets, often in swampy areas and along streams. In a partial shade spot, another clethra does not flower nearly as well. Plant summersweet in the spring. Propagation Take greenwood cuttings in early summer. Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device. It also attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. My ilex cornuta shrubs (trees?) 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. Eventually, the leaves turn yellow and die. Bury the seed one inch in the soil and keep it moist. It produces fragrant drooping white flowers in early summer and turns deep red in the fall. Get daily tips & tricks to help make your best home, How to Grow Virginia Sweetspire From Seed, Potting and Repotting Virginia Sweetspire. This compact selection reaches 3 to 5 feet tall. A dwarf summersweet shrub with fragrant white flowers and a dense, rounded shape. They suggested cutting back at least the older, thicker stems to the ground. Even deer tend to leave it alone. Stressed plants are more likely to run into bug and disease problems than "happy" ones in soils, sites and weather they prefer. In June and July, sweetspire bears lovely spikes of fragrant, white blossoms. She is a former Clemson University Extension Agent. * Required | We will never sell or distribute your email to any other parties or organizations. As noted by others it depends on your preferred features. To reverse this problem, it's important to make the soil more acidic. While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. 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. In spring, after new growth begins to emerge, you can remove any stems that aren't showing signs of life - do not prune until you see signs of new growth. I planted them in groups of 3 in 3 locations around my home. Clethra alnifolia, commonly called summersweet, is a deciduous shrub that is native to swampy woodlands, wet marshes, stream banks and seashores, often in sandy soils, along the coast from Maine to Florida and west to Texas. Summersweet plants usually grow 4-9ft (1.2-2.7m) tall and about 6ft (1.8m) wide, although they may spread into a mounded clump if allowed to sucker. A broad, upright habit makes it well-suited for use as a fragrant hedge or privacy screen. That'll take the majority of scale insects and eggs along with it. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Grows up to 2-3 ft. tall and wide (60-90 cm). | Letter from the Editor, Watch Out for New Garden Pests Heading This Way, Designing a Beautiful Back BorderPlanting Plan. As bboy says, there are dwarf choices for each. Ideally, plant these shrubs in a spot that receives morning sun and afternoon shade. The species is native to the eastern United States. Here's what a colony of Virginia sweetspires should look like when not attacked by fungus or bugs. Once the roots became established, summersweet bush is somewhat drought tolerant, but avoid letting the soil dry out completely. Je peux rejeter les cookies non essentiels en cliquant sur Grer mes prfrences . For a much larger shrub, go with Hollyleaf Sweetspire which can grow up to 12 feet high. Find out where you fall in the USDA Hardiness Zones database. Prefers part shade and consistently moist, acidic, sandy soils. I am adding an iron product to the soil and hope that it improves the health of the plants. This shrub usually grows to 3 to 6 feet in height, but can be up to 8-feet tall. 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. Discover the right shrubs for your garden. Grows well in wet areas. Water regularly to keep the soil moist, especially during the first growing season. The plant belongs to one of only two genera in the Clethraceae (white alder) family, with Purdiaea being the other genus. Thanks. Once roots are establishedat least five weeks, but likely longeryou can bring your cuttings outside to plant in your garden. To create an idea board, sign in or create an account. A: I've seen occasional fungal leaf-spotting on Virginia sweetspires, but scale attack isn't common. I purchased 6 of these and absolutely love them. | Letter from the Editor, Watch Out for New Garden Pests Heading This Way, Designing a Beautiful Back BorderPlanting Plan. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. It is also a delightful addition to the mixed border. To jumpstart growth, feed in early spring with a slow-release fertilizer or an all-purpose organic plant food. Summersweet seeds are easy to plant and they germinate quickly; seeds can be harvested in autumn and have no specific storage needs. They will also do well in full sun as long as you keep the soil moist. So if you'd rather have the fragrant blooms of clethra in the summer (patio season? Mass or group in lawns, foundations or shrub borders. Get planting advice, garden design tips and trends, monthly checklists for your area, product specials and more in our weekly newsletter. Soil: moist to wet soil; pH 4.5-6.5. A wonderful native plant from Mark Griffith, and our favorite Sweetspire for color and habit. Summersweet prefers moist soil and even grows well in areas with standing water. The serrated, glossy, dark green foliage turns golden-yellow in fall. A versatile shrub for shrub borders, open woodland gardens, foundations . Is blooming and starting to increase in Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Place your shrub in the hole, gently spreading out the roots, and then backfill to ground level and water well. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BUSH TO ANYONE That likes a good fragrance and very pretty. Has few insect or disease problems, with the exception of spider mites, which are more common when plants are stressed by hot, dry conditions. It was discovered in 1992 as a sport of C. alnifolia Pink Spire. To form solid hedges, space plants a distance equal to their mature width. '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. In landscape design, they are especially effective massed or grouped in sunny or shady flowering shrub borders, butterfly and hummingbird gardens. Because clethra bloom on new growth, prune during winter or early spring to avoid removing developing flower buds. This plant can work in a variety of soil pHs, types, and moisture levels. 2023 Proven Winners North America LLC. This compact Sweetspire starts out the summer with a beautiful display of fragrant white flowers that blanket the shrub. Use a 3-inch layer of organic mulch to protect your summersweet in the winter. Intensely fragrant, star-shaped florets grow into plump, exotic 2-4" wands that appear on a 4-6' bush for many weeks in mid to late summer. Summersweet is a versatile shrub that thrives in most climates and is suitable as a specimen plant or a hedge. During the late summer or early fall, collect the small brown seed pods from the plant. Top reasons to grow Scentlandia sweetspire: - More fragrant than other sweetspire varieties, - Better bud hardiness means better performance in USDA zones 5 and 6, - One of the most shade tolerant flowering shrubs. The flowers give way to spikes of dark brown fruits which persist into winter, providing continuing interest. 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. Itea virginica, commonly called Virginia sweetspire, is an erect, rounded, broad-spreading, deciduous shrub with arching branches. Native from southern New Jersey down to Florida, it is winter hardy to Zone 5 . I'd hate to give up on sweetspire because it's a pretty plant when it's healthy. The runners arent extremely aggressive. When the root system is well-established and trying to fight its way out of the container, it's time to plant it in the landscape. Note this is the default cart. I would another, If i had space for it. Use clean garden shears to cut 3- to 4-inch cuttings, taken in the morning, from well-established healthy plants. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. 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. More about the newsletter. Soils should not be allowed to dry out. Plant near a patio or other outdoor living space to fully enjoy the sweet-smelling flowers. Available in better garden centers in spring 2019. 21 Low-Maintenance Plants. The foliage of the Little Henry Sweetspire is stunning. Garden Uses: Sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), also called summersweet, is a Maryland native plant found in forested wetlands, floodplains, and swamps. Its fragrant, bottlebrush flowers are a darker pink; they attract butterflies, bees, and other insects in late summer and early fall. The flowers aren't just longer, larger, and more fragrant than other varieties - they're also more cold tolerant, assuring a good display even in USDA zone 5 where flower buds are frequently damaged. Sweetspire's dagger-like leaves will change from green to red and orange as they turn. Copyright 2023. Little Henry is a useful native plant with lots of potential for the home landscape. The blooms are raceme flowers, 2- to 6-inches long, that may be white, pink, or rose-colored and have a sweet fragrance. Find out where you fall in the USDA Hardiness Zones database. I planted this spring. Once the roots are in place, you can move it out to the landscape. . Create appealing and long-lasting planting judywhite / GardenPhotos.com, Botanik Foto. She has 30+ years of experience with year-round organic gardening; seed starting and saving; growing heirloom plants, perennials, and annuals; and sustainable and urban farming. Although these bushes are considered plants tolerant of wet groundand clay soils, they will nonetheless perform best in well-drained soils. Summersweet is a medium-sized deciduous shrub that adds color and fragrance to your garden with its late-summer blooms. In early spring, fertilize your summersweet with a slow-release formula meant for trees and shrubs. Merlot is named for its fall color which is dark red and persists into winter. Water seedlings as needed, then plant when they're sturdy. Consider the hours of sunlight you wish your summersweet to receive during its growing season. Root greenwood cuttings in early summer. Had beautiful red Full Shade to Full Sun. In fall, the leaves turn an attractive yellow. I have a grouping of Little Henry Sweetspire right near my patio and love it. When the pH of the soil creeps above 7.0, Virginia sweetspire is prone to developing chlorosis. The shrub grows best in partial shade and a moist, slightly acid soil. The scent and flowers are perfect in the garden and the winter interest color is gorgeous. of the member-only content library. Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), a native shrub, provides landscape interest across the seasons. CareProvide full sun to partial shade and fertile, preferably acidic, medium to wet soil. Both plants attact large numbers of bees, something I consider a plus for the gardens and the ecology in general, but if bees are a problem for you, then you won't want these plants. It is also an attractive plant in late spring and summer when the long racemes of fragrant white . Great for grouping and for massing on large banks, in beds, and perennial and shrub borders. Here's what a colony of Virginia sweetspires should look like when not attacked by fungus or bugs. ), that might be the right one. In summer, 'Sixteen Candles' is topped with aromatic, erect, butterfly-enticing white blooms for 4 to 6 weeks. Summersweet tolerates clay soil and full shade. There could be several reasons why your Virginia sweetspire isn't blooming, and the first of those reasons is waternot nearly enough of it. I want to be able to see over the plants if I want to sit out on my patio. Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Pruning in the spring risks removing the flower buds. 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.

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