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. The runners arent extremely aggressive. The species gets tall and rangy, so it is worth seeking out the cultivar . The plant belongs to one of only two genera in the Clethraceae (white alder) family, with Purdiaea being the other genus. I just planted it this season so I will have to update my review on its performance once it is established. I plan to buy at least three more. Choose Options. This plant is quite hardy and doesn't have any serious pests to contend with. '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. Orange, green and red leaves all at once. It is also a delightful addition to the mixed border. Not sure which Clethra to pick?Compare All Clethra, Buy Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' (Summersweet). The serrated, glossy, dark green foliage turns golden-yellow 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. During the late summer or early fall, collect the small brown seed pods from the plant. Then use a good potting medium and seed trays to germinate the plants indoors. A compact cultivar bearing large clusters of clove-scented white flowers that are irresistible to bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. Sugartina 'Crystalina' Summersweet. Once the roots are in place, you can move it out to the landscape. What is not to love??? Two fragrant and vigorous climbing plants for a spectacular With its rich purple blooms, Clematis Etoile Violette' is a Use our interactive toolsto design your dream garden. I would another, If i had space for it. * Required | We will never sell or distribute your email to any other parties or organizations. The spires came and went and absolutely no smell at all. Wandering roots and stems can easily be chopped off and transplanted. All Rights Reserved. For me, clethra blooms much later (in the summer) than itea (late spring bloomer). 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. You could also divide the plants if you'd like during the move. 21 Low-Maintenance Plants. 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. Clethra - A Growing Guide for Summersweet Shrubs | Garden Design Water these shrubs quite often when they are young and getting established, then weekly when they mature (one inch per week). I'd hate to give up on sweetspire because it's a pretty plant when it's healthy. PropagationSow seed at 43 to 54F in spring or autumn. That way you get blooms and fragrance at different points of the summer, and the great fall foliage of the sweetspire. Sign up for a free trial and get access to ALL our regional content, plus the rest The blooms are raceme flowers, 2- to 6-inches long, that may be white, pink, or rose-colored and have a sweet fragrance. It produces fragrant drooping white flowers in early summer and turns deep red in the fall. Very disappointed and am hoping for the brilliant fall color it is supposed to have. NC State Extension Service Plant Finder. 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. In a partial shade spot, another clethra does not flower nearly as well. Elsewhere, summersweet looks nice when grouped in planting beds or lined up as a shrub border. Its small stature makes it a nice choice for adding color and scent to perennial gardens. 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. 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. Clethra alnifolia--Summersweet, Sweet Pepperbush | Old House Web Planted Little Henry last fall. Here are ideas for taking advantage of its many attributes: RELATED: Tolerates full shade. 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 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! Create appealing and long-lasting planting judywhite / GardenPhotos.com, Botanik Foto. No serious insect or disease problems. Great for massing on large banks, in beds, and perennial and shrub borders. It likes humusy soils, so mixing in compost before planting is a good idea. This Sugartina has fragrant white flowers that appear by mid-summer. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Itea virginica Little Henry (Virginia Sweetspire) - Gardenia.net Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), a native shrub, provides landscape interest across the seasons. Feed these plants each spring with a balanced granular fertilizer mixed into the soil. A sharp spade can be used to cut away a section of the root ball around the edge, which can be replanted wherever you want it. Provide moist, humus-rich, slightly acidic, well . In fall, the leaves turn an attractive yellow. A dependable shrub that is native from coastal Maine south to north Florida and then west to the eastern edge of Texas. Any thoughts on these two shrubs? To use the website as intended please Water seedlings as needed, then plant when they're sturdy. How to Take Care of Ruby Spice Summersweet - Home Guides As low as $29.99 . Native Shrubs for Gardens with Wet Soil - Horticulture 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. Plant this shrub in humusy, well-drained soil that is somewhat on the moist side. Keep in a high-humidity area, and cover with plastic. Then, fall. Top 20 Native Shrubs for Sun and Shade - Smithsonian Gardens Here's what a colony of Virginia sweetspires should look like when not attacked by fungus or bugs. In early spring, fertilize your summersweet with a slow-release formula meant for trees and shrubs. Summersweet is a versatile shrub that thrives in most climates and is suitable as a specimen plant or a hedge. Given ideal conditions, this plant can survive for up to 40 years.