Vanilla Spice summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)Photo by: Proven Winners. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Healthy Soil Is at the Heart of a Thriving Garden, Gardening Gift Ideas for Mothers Day 2023, 6 Fantastic Annuals to Grow From Seed in the Northwest, Lilacs: How to Grow Them and Favorite Varieties, Companion Planting for Successful Southern California Vegetable Gardens, Ready, Set, Spring! Once roots are establishedat least five weeks, but likely longeryou can bring your cuttings outside to plant in your garden. Summersweets are somewhat unique among flowering shrubs because of their ability to bloom in shady locations in late summer when few other shrubs are in bloom. As low as $29.99 . . It prefers moist soils and will tolerate wet conditions. Root suckering will be most prevalent with shrubs planted in wet ground. It is also a delightful addition to the mixed border. Will grow in shade, but flowering and fall color improves when the plant gets at least some sun each day. * Required FieldsWe will never sell or distribute your email to any other parties or organizations. Grows well in wet areas. This compact selection reaches 3 to 5 feet tall. The Garden wouldn't be the Garden without our Members, Donors and Volunteers. Get complete site access to expert advice, regional content, and more, plus the print magazine. Suggested Use: Hedge, Naturalize, Rain Garden, Tolerate: Heavy Shade, Erosion, Clay Soil, Wet Soil. I've bought 2 more to put a nice arc around my Because it blooms on old wood (previous year's growth), pruning should be done immediately after blooming so that the plant can develop the wood necessary for next year's blooms. In such climates, plant it along woodland edges where it gets partial shade, which will help the plants stay cool and thrive. 2023 Proven Winners North America LLC. It is also an attractive plant in late spring and summer when the long racemes of fragrant white . The shrub has a rounded habit and produces cylindrical drooping flowers (racemes) from late spring to mid-summer. Once the roots are in place, you can move it out to the landscape. Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant. Prune as needed to maintain the desired shape and remove dead, diseased, and damaged branches. I did and found LOTS of scales up and down the stems. Burning Bush is a plant quite similar to this one, though it is more susceptible to disease and pests. 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! It is originally from eastern and southern North America, but grows naturally along the Atlantic coast and west to Texas. The scent and flowers are perfect in the garden and the winter interest color is gorgeous. Cover with a thin layer of sand, then keep them in low light under plastic. Not sure which Clethra to pick?Compare All Clethra, Buy Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' (Summersweet). An area with morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal. In summer, Sixteen Candles is topped with aromatic, erect, butterfly-enticing white blooms for 4 to 6 weeks. David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. Create long-lasting, pleasing contrasts in your garden. Their scent will hang beautifully in the air! Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' - Plant Finder - Missouri Botanical Garden They also suggested as an option pulling the plants and starting over again. Propagation Take greenwood cuttings in early summer. We use cookies on this website, you can read about them here. Summersweet seeds are easy to plant and they germinate quickly; seeds can be harvested in autumn and have no specific storage needs. Little Henry Sweetspire | Plant Addicts When the seedling is robust, plant it in a small container and let it establish a root system. It was discovered in 1992 as a sport of C. alnifolia Pink Spire. The fall color on this plant is brilliant. We'll see if they make it. Sweet Pepperbush: A Fragrant Native Shrub - UMD Tolerates clay soils. We also wanted a smaller variety that works with any size landscape, and outstanding fall color so that the plant stays interesting beyond its bloom time. Get daily tips & tricks to help make your best home, How to Grow Virginia Sweetspire From Seed, Potting and Repotting Virginia Sweetspire. Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), a native shrub, provides landscape interest across the seasons. This compact selection reaches 3 to 5 feet tall. And if I battle the scales, how would I go about it? The first thing that occurs to me is that your plants are stressed in some way. I would another, If i had space for it. To create an idea board, sign in or create an account. Grow taller varieties as hedges or privacy screens or as a backdrop in a perennial garden. Consider the hours of sunlight you wish your summersweet to receive during its growing season. Summersweet typically spreads to 4 to 6 feet and forms an oval shape. This is a good plant for woodland gardens or at the front of the mixed border. The blooms are raceme flowers, 2- to 6-inches long, that may be white, pink, or rose-colored and have a sweet fragrance. Sign up for a free trial and get access to ALL our regional content, plus the rest Get the latest how-to and design inspiration articles plus special offers sent straight to your inbox. Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' (Summersweet) - Gardenia.net However, I did not get any blooms this year. I'm in zone 5, mid Missouri. Right now - the deer are enjoying browsing the plants every evening so I take it that they didn't read the plant description. The runners arent extremely aggressive. Dig a hole that is at least twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. 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). Sixteen Candles sweet pepperbush, or summersweet, is a newer cultivar of a popular native shrub. These may survive into winter in some climates. Summersweet prefers moist soil and even grows well in areas with standing water. 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. You can deadhead to remove flowers past their prime, but otherwise, you can usually just leave this shrub alone unless you desire a neatly groomed look. We'll see how the plants perform Spring and Summer before making a final decision on the plants. How to Take Care of Ruby Spice Summersweet - Home Guides Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 'Sixteen Candles' sweet pepperbush - FineGardening Because clethra bloom on new growth, prune during winter or early spring to avoid removing developing flower buds. Itea virginica 'Sprich' LITTLE HENRY - Plant Finder Summersweet typically spreads to 4 to 6 feet and forms an oval shape. 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. Find a Garden Center that carries Proven Winners plants & products. 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. Join now and start creating your dream garden! Compact habit is excellent for small gardens. Noteworthy CharacteristicsFragrant flowers. A good choice for smaller gardens and tight spaces. 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. Native from southern New Jersey down to Florida, it is winter hardy to Zone 5 . As of August 2020, they have gotten larger over the course of the year and put out upward branches in a loose open habit but also runners underground. Several popular cultivars of Virginia Sweetspire are available, including: You can prune Virginia sweetspire to shape it or control its size, but pruning is not otherwise necessary. Bury the seed one inch in the soil and keep it moist. It will grow in full sun to full shade, and requires little pruning or other maintenance. Politique d'Utilisation des Cookies de Houzz. 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. The leaves have been getting black spots, and now my tree-care company told me they noticed scale insects. Soil: moist to wet soil; pH 4.5-6.5. Gorgeous little plant. It works well in a naturalized landscape or garden. The Latin name for summersweet is Clethra alnifolia. Perfectly suited for covering large banks, beds and borders. ProblemsFungal dieback and root rot can occur. Nice plant for an area you want to be filled in away from the house where deer are not a problem. The Best Deer Resistant Plants for Your Garden Choose Options. 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. To reverse this problem, it's important to make the soil more acidic. This plant can work in a variety of soil pHs, types, and moisture levels. 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Available in better garden centers in spring 2019. Get planting advice, garden design tips and trends, monthly checklists for your area, product specials and more in our weekly newsletter. Plant summersweet in an area that receives full sun to part shade. Make sure there are other plants around, as the plant will look bare until the leaves appear at the end of spring. How to Grow and Care for Virginia Sweetspire - The Spruce Looking forward to hopefully having blooms next year. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. In USDA growing zone 5a (the northern end of its range), a bush will likely experience several inches of winter dieback on the tops of the branches (they turn a tan color). Supply plants with composted organic matter to encourage roots to spread. Deciduous. The flowers are produced on vertical flower spikes about 6 inches long that protrude from the glossy green foliage. In June and July, sweetspire bears lovely spikes of fragrant, white blossoms. Summersweet is a medium-sized deciduous shrub that adds color and fragrance to your garden with its late-summer blooms. That'll take the majority of scale insects and eggs along with it. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. I see them struggle the most in full sun, compacted clay and heat- and drought-prone spots. Then, fall. The shallow root system is suckering and tends to form clumps. One of its most attractive characteristics is to produce great blooms in shady locations. Here's what a colony of Virginia sweetspires should look like when not attacked by fungus or bugs. Spring 2020, bloomed nicely but still no scent detected, even up close. Feed these plants each spring with a balanced granular fertilizer mixed into the soil. Not fussy about soil pH. Given ideal conditions, this plant can survive for up to 40 years. Itea virginica Little Henry (Virginia Sweetspire) - Gardenia.net are just awful for about a week each year thanks to the bees. FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Plants, Design Ideas, Gardening Solutions & More! Use in a mixed border with other spring- and summer-blooming shrubs that like moist soils, such as. As summer progresses shiny, disease-free foliage appears until fall when the foliage turns a stunning garnet-red. I purchased 6 of these and absolutely love them. 'Little Henry' might work. We sniffed dozens of different sweetspires in pursuit of the most fragrant variety, and we can say with confidence that we've found it in Scentlandia itea. BEST SMELL,I have it at my front porch. Orange, green and red leaves all at once. As noted by others it depends on your preferred features. 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). As bboy says, there are dwarf choices for each. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 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. "Take time to smell the flowers" doesn't have to be just a clich. Summersweet thrives in moist climates, and tolerates both heat above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and freezing cold winters. Itea needs little maintenance. Water regularly as needed so the soil does not dry out. I'm starting to see some of the red fall color! About the bees, well anything with flowers will have bees temporarily. Softwood stem cuttings, taken in early summer, are the best way to propagate summersweet. Mass or group in lawns, foundations or shrub borders. Houzz utilise des cookies et d'autres technologies de suivi similaires pour personnaliser mon exprience utilisateur, me proposer du contenu pertinent et amliorer ses produits et services. In early spring, fertilize your summersweet with a slow-release formula meant for trees and shrubs. Except for fertilization and minor pruning, this plant is maintenance-free. What is not to love??? As low as $29.99 . A profusion of fragrant white flower spikes attract butterflies. It also attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Loaded with fragrant blooms every spring which last into summer - always evoking comments from visitors. It enjoys, Promptly remove root suckers unless a naturalized look is desired. Propagate by cuttings. How To Plant, Fertilize, Prune & Water Clethra Summersweet Plants As noted by others it depends on your preferred features. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. 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). After the bloom, the flowers leave small, dark brown seed capsule fruits that look like peppercorns. Once the roots became established, summersweet bush is somewhat drought tolerant, but avoid letting the soil dry out completely. What plants are similar to Virginia Sweetspire? Effective in mass, mixed into perennial borders or along foundations. Also appropriate for moist soils along stream banks or pond/water garden peripheries. This summersweet is a sport of C. alnifolia Pink Spires. Height 2.5-3 Feet Tall. It is also wet site tolerant. 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. To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of our site. Such dieback in winter means the loss of some of the flower buds that produce blooms in spring. 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. This Sugartina has fragrant white flowers that appear by mid-summer. | Letter from the Editor, Watch Out for New Garden Pests Heading This Way, Designing a Beautiful Back BorderPlanting Plan. Promptly remove root suckers unless naturalized look is desired. This shrub flowers on new wood, so pruning for shape is best done in spring. Use a 3-inch layer of organic mulch to protect your summersweet in the winter. The flowers are notable for their size, how late they bloom, and their ability to bloom even in the shade. 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. You say to plant "around" the patio, does that mean you are looking at planting several? Being a water-loving plant, it works well at the edges of ponds, streams, and marshy areas. 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 But OH MY WORD! 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. Ideally, plant these shrubs in a spot that receives morning sun and afternoon shade. Some people would recommend using a fungicide to combat the leaf disease and horticultural oil or a similar scale-killing insecticide to deal with the bugs. Stay ahead of any root-suckering that may occur if you do not wish for the bushes to spread. Severe cases can kill the plant. Summersweet (Sweet pepperbush): How to Grow and Care | Florgeous 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. There is also at least one dwarf clethra available. One of the darkest pink-flowered cultivars, flaunting deep rosy pink flowers notable for retaining their color intensity without fading. 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 versatile shrub for shrub borders, open woodland gardens, foundations . Summersweet is a versatile shrub that thrives in most climates and is suitable as a specimen plant or a hedge. How to Grow and Care for Doublefile Viburnum Shrubs, How to Grow and Care for Black Lace Elderberry, How to Grow and Care for Emerald Gaiety Wintercreeper. Virginia sweetspire is a deciduous shrub with arching stems and alternate simple leaves that are oval in shape and dark green in color. Noteworthy CharacteristicsA shorter cultivar selected for its sturdy branching system and large (up to 6 inches), upright, white flowering "candles". 3 5 comments Best Add a Comment halfbajan 2 yr. ago Hi there! They were both planted on a small slope, with sun until early afternoon, and have been absolutely great the entire time. For one thing, they're survivors that'll often keep coming back year after year even though they're suffering disease or bug issues. En cliquant sur Accepter , j'accepte l'utilisation des cookies telle qu'elle est dcrite plus en dtail dans la Politique d'Utilisation des Cookies de Houzz. This sturdy native shrub is also remarkably adaptable, tolerating shade, soggy soil, and salty air, making it a valuable addition to woodland settings and coastal gardens. In the right conditions, it can spread and fill in quickly via suckering roots, making it good for erosion control. 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). Cookies, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' (Summersweet), Clethra alnifolia 'Caleb' VANILLA SPICE' (Summersweet), Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum' (Solomon's Seal), Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' (Hakone Grass), Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) 'James Compton' (Baneberry), Great Shrubs with Brilliant Fall Color for New England Gardens, Best Shrubs as Companion Plants for Azaleas and Rhododendrons, Want Garden Inspiration? Because of its versatility and modest size, summersweet bush has a multitude of uses in both formal and informal gardens. However, it might develop flea beetles or leaf spot. 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. 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. Sign up for weekly gardening inspiration and design tips. Summersweet can tolerate salty air and even salt spray from nearby streets in urban areas. This plant is quite hardy and doesn't have any serious pests to contend with. 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. Does well in sun or shade, dry or wet soil, all types of soil (normal, clay or sandy) & nice red fall color! USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9. 21 Low-Maintenance Plants. To jumpstart growth, feed in early spring with a slow-release fertilizer or an all-purpose organic plant food. Accept By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Find plants you love and create idea boards for all your projects. Be inspired with our Gardener's Idea Book and Winner's Circle newsletter, Scentlandia - Sweetspire - Itea virginica. Ruby Spice grows to about 4 to 6 feet tall and almost as wide, making this shrub suitable for a bed or border, a woodland or shade garden, or a waterside planting. 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. 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: So, I'm only rating this plant as satisfactory. Clethra - A Growing Guide for Summersweet Shrubs | Garden Design Mature stems have scaly, dark gray to brown black bark. The flowers give way to spikes of dark brown fruits which persist into winter, providing continuing interest. This shrub is the rare type that divides easily by cutting its root ball into sections, thanks to its prolific suckering habit. I am adding an iron product to the soil and hope that it improves the health of the plants. Purchased this plant in late April and over the past three months it has adapted well and had significant growth. Has a compact habit similar to Hummingbird but with sturdier branches that hold the slender 6-inch flower spikes upright like candles rather than allowing them to flop over. Attracts butterflies. This results in a lack of chlorophyll, which in turn results in leaves that lose their color and fade.
