ShrubsDiscover the right shrubs for your garden.
Little Henry ® sweetspire . photograph by Proven Winners .
In an age of mood change and wildly unpredictable conditions , we all ask more plant in our gardens that can roll with the punches and still seem gorgeous , come what may . One such plant is Virginia sweetspire , a durable native shrub that grow well in either Sunday or shade and tolerates drouth as well as implosion therapy rains .
Itea shrubs thrive in almost any soil type , including mud , and are stout in all but the cold climate . Pests ? Not a trouble . Care requirement ? Minimal . And if all that is n’t telling enough , Virginia sweetspire is also modest in sizing and offers multiple seasons of interest , starting with a cornucopia of bottlebrush - like flower clusters in May and ending with striking fall foliation that remains colorful well into wintertime . Plus , it ’s cervid insubordinate and attracts bee and butterflies .
On this varlet : Basics|Planting|Care|Pictures|Landscaping Tips
ITEA BASICS
Botanical name:
Itea virginica
Common names:
Virginia sweetspire , sweetspire , Virginia willow tree
Plant type:
Deciduous bush
Zones:
5 - 9
Exposure:
Full sun to full shade
Mature size:
3 to 5 feet magniloquent with an equal to slightly broad spread
Growth habit:
Rounded , with graciously curve branch . Spreads slowly by suckers to finally form an open brushwood .
Growth rate:
average to fast
Bloom time:
May and June , with flowers live 4 to 6 week
Flowers:
gently fragrant , star topology - shaped white blossom bloom in clusters 3 to 6 column inch long .
Foliage:
Glossy , elliptical dark - green leaves turn brilliant shades of orange , red , Au , Burgundy wine , or crimson - purple in fall , calculate on the cultivar . In areas with mild winter , the leaves often persist into December and beyond .
Related non-native species:
PLANTING ITEA
Scentlandia ® sweetspire evenfall color . pic by Proven Winners .
When to plant:
Plant almost any time of year , although saltation and fall are typically the estimable times .
Where to plant:
In sunlight or nuance . For the good bloom and drop color , grow industrial plant where they will experience 4 to 6 hr of sunshine daily . A situation with break of the day sunshine and good afternoon shade is idealistic .
How to plant:
Dig a fix doubly as panoptic and at the same depth as the solution ball and set your bush in the hole so that the top of the root ball is at ground floor . Backfill with the excavated dirt and water exhaustively . To conserve grease moisture , apply a 2- to 3 - inch layer of mulch around the planting country .
Spacing:
Varies depending on the sizing at maturity and the intended use . For mass planting or self-colored hedging , outer space plant a distance equal to their fledged width .
ITEA CARE & MAINTENANCE
Pruning:
in general not required unless you want to maintain an attractive configuration or remove dead or damage branch . Likerhododendron shrub , sweetspire develops heyday on old woodwind , so rationalize your plant in early summer shortly after blossom to prevent the removal of next twelvemonth ’s flower bud .
Soil:
Adapts to almost any soil type and drainage office , even boggy conditions . Prefers a slightly acidic hoummos - rich soil , but is also tolerant of poorer corpse and inert to slenderly alkaline soil .
Fertilizer:
fecundate in spring with a well - balanced granular fertilizer formulated for trees and bush . Additional feeding during the growing season is usually unnecessary .
Watering:
Because sweetspire typically inhabits soaked soil along swamps and streambanks , it fly high in soil that ’s keep evenly moist . However , it will adapt well to average moisture condition and even tolerate brusque periods of drought after becoming give . Overwatering is seldom a problem .
Diseases and pests:
This is one of those rarified garden plants that has no serious pest or disease problems , although greensickness ( yellowing of the leaf due to lack of chlorophyll ) may take place if grow in highly alkaline soil .
Controlling spread:
Because sweetspire is a " suckering " shrub that spread out by pushing up new shoots from the ascendant system of the mother plant , it has a tendency to colonize over fourth dimension . count on how you plan to expend the plant in your garden , you may desire to keep suckering in check by cutting off any unwanted solution shoots that pop up , or implant it in an area it can be allowed to spread .
ITEA VARIETIES
Photo by : Proven winner
footling Henry ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersItea virginica’Spritch '
Height/Spread:
2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Fall foliage color:
Reddish orangeness
This dwarf soma of ‘ Henry ’s Garnet ’ is a good option for modest garden and even works well as a shrubby groundcover when allowed to tame . In autumn , the leaves reverse fiery shades of Bolshevik and orangish that rival the fall colour ofburning bush(Euonymus alatus ) .
Scentlandia ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersI. virginica
smart red Orange River
More fragrant than most , make it a with child choice for planting near a window , patio , or entryway . Butterflies and other pollinator will also flock to the fragrant bloom .
Fizzy Mizzy ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersI. virginica
Burgundy red
Similar to picayune Henry ® in size and form , but with one renowned difference : the bloom digest upright rather than clothe downwardly . flush spike are inflexible and long - long-lasting .
2024 Landscape Shrub of the Year
pic by ajisai13 / Shutterstock .
‘ Henry ’s Garnet’I. virginica’Henry ’s Garnet '
3 to 4 feet tall , 4 to 5 feet wide
Reddish purple
This showy cultivar bears exceptionally with child 6 - inch - farsighted heyday cluster that drape over the shining dark - greenish leaves . In spill , the foliation deform a productive garnet red and remains into wintertime .
ITEA LANDSCAPING & DESIGN TIPS
Because of its thick size and adaptable nature , you could apply sweetspire in a concourse of ways , both ornamentally and as a job solver in those areas of the garden where nothing else will flourish . Here are some melodic theme :
