summersweet vs sweetspire

This plant is best grown in full sun to part shade in average, medium to wet, acidic, sandy soils. I planted this spring. Native to the woodlands of eastern North America, it is a good choice for woodland borders. Pollinators liked them. Use clean garden shears to cut 3- to 4-inch cuttings, taken in the morning, from well-established healthy plants. In spite of the information that says it is not picky about pH conditions, it needs iron to do well in SE Wisconsin, where we have lime based soil. Any ideas?Tammy. Tolerates clay soils. Its small stature makes it a nice choice for adding color and scent to perennial gardens. Water seedlings as needed, then plant when they're sturdy. Once spring comes, you can rake it away. are just awful for about a week each year thanks to the bees. A broad, upright habit makes it well-suited for use as a fragrant hedge or privacy screen. However, it might develop flea beetles or leaf spot. Open them up and remove the seeds. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Full shade is tolerated. Planted Little Henry last fall. Full sun exposure will produce more vibrant fall color. Stressed plants are more likely to run into bug and disease problems than "happy" ones in soils, sites and weather they prefer. A versatile shrub for shrub borders, open woodland gardens, foundations . Native to the woodlands of eastern North America, it is a good choice for woodland borders. This shrub usually grows to 3 to 6 feet in height, but can be up to 8-feet tall. Water these shrubs quite often when they are young and getting established, then weekly when they mature (one inch per week). The leaves have been getting black spots, and now my tree-care company told me they noticed scale insects. Water regularly to keep the soil moist, especially during the first growing season. Typically grows 3-4' (less frequently to 5') tall with a similar spread. Full Shade to Full Sun. Spikes of highly fragrant flowers bloom on the current season's woody stems in mid-summer. of the member-only content library. Little Henry is a useful native plant with lots of potential for the home landscape. Gorgeous little plant. 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 Grows well in wet areas. Its natural environment includes wet and swampy areas of woodland as well as marshes and river banks. Wandering roots and stems can easily be chopped off and transplanted. Bury the seed one inch in the soil and keep it moist. There's no need for cold stratification to germinate. Definitely loved by the deer and it colonizes out of control. Sugartina 'Crystalina' summersweet(Clethra alnifolia)Photo by: Proven Winners. Get the latest how-to and design inspiration articles plus special offers sent straight to your inbox. It is a tough, dependable plant with three-season interest, especially in shady, wet sites. Will grow in shade, but flowering and fall color improves when the plant gets at least some sun each day. To create an idea board, sign in or create an account. Summersweet tolerates clay soil and full shade. May be pruned after blooming if required. So, I'm only rating this plant as satisfactory. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BUSH TO ANYONE That likes a good fragrance and very pretty. Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. One of the darkest pink-flowered cultivars, flaunting deep rosy pink flowers notable for retaining their color intensity without fading. Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) is one garden plant that truly lives up to its name, producing an abundance of sweetly scented flowers during the waning days of summer, when few other shrubs are in bloom. About 4 to 6 feet apart, depending on the size at maturity and the intended use. I've seen some new growth in the month or so since planted. (George Weigel) Q: My Virginia sweetspire plants have looked awful by summer's end the last two. One of the largest summersweet cultivars, featuring rose-colored buds that gradually soften to pale pink as the flowers open and mature. Summersweet is a medium-sized deciduous shrub that adds color and fragrance to your garden with its late-summer blooms. 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. 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. It prefers moist soils and will tolerate wet conditions. Summersweet. Summersweet seeds are easy to plant and they germinate quickly; seeds can be harvested in autumn and have no specific storage needs. A dwarf summersweet shrub with fragrant white flowers and a dense, rounded shape. 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. Also may be naturalized in cottage gardens, wild gardens or naturalized areas. This Sugartina has fragrant white flowers that appear by mid-summer. 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). Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. When the pH of the soil creeps above 7.0, Virginia sweetspire is prone to developing chlorosis. Summersweet spreads slowly by suckering roots and will colonize over time. As noted by others it depends on your preferred features. Finally, give the plants a good soaking and try to keep them damp throughout at least this first summer. More about the newsletter. | Letter from the Editor, Watch Out for New Garden Pests Heading This Way, Designing a Beautiful Back BorderPlanting Plan. Also appropriate for moist soils along stream banks or pond/water garden peripheries. Virginia sweetspire is a deciduous shrub with arching stems and alternate simple leaves that are oval in shape and dark green in color. That way you get blooms and fragrance at different points of the summer, and the great fall foliage of the sweetspire. 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. 'Little Henry' might work. The foliage is a nice bright green in summer. In landscape design, they are especially effective massed or grouped in sunny or shady flowering shrub borders, butterfly and hummingbird gardens. When the seedling is robust, plant it in a small container and let it establish a root system. 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. All Rights Reserved. I can grab any that pop up a foot or so away and pull them up back toward the base and clip off. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. Store them in a sealed container, tucked away in the refrigerator until spring rolls around. I would another, If i had space for it. Once the roots became established, summersweet bush is somewhat drought tolerant, but avoid letting the soil dry out completely. We use cookies on this website, you can read about them here. Ideally, plant these shrubs in a spot that receives morning sun and afternoon shade. 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). Here's what a colony of Virginia sweetspires should look like when not attacked by fungus or bugs. 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. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources. Flowers are very attractive to butterflies and bees.Genus name comes from the Greek klethra the name for alder of which the leaves resemble.Specific epithet means leaves like alder.Ruby Spice is most noted for its fragrant rose-pink flowers that bloom in late summer. They suggested cutting back at least the older, thicker stems to the ground. The spires came and went and absolutely no smell at all. Mulch is a good idea. Sweetspire's dagger-like leaves will change from green to red and orange as they turn. 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. Here is a link that might be useful: Little Henry in fall Iris GW 16 years ago bogie 16 years ago erictammy Original Author 16 years ago Wow, So much info. Get planting advice, garden design tips and trends, monthly checklists for your area, product specials and more in our weekly newsletter. Find locations near you that offer Proven Winners products. Little Henry has lightly scented, pure white flowers that shoot like fireworks in the early summer horizon. A: I've seen occasional fungal leaf-spotting on Virginia sweetspires, but scale attack isn't common. 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. And if I battle the scales, how would I go about it? The shrub has a rounded habit and produces cylindrical drooping flowers (racemes) from late spring to mid-summer. As another review said, I purchased this for the fall interest and for the lovely smell that it is supposed to possess. I want to put something , not to tall, around my cement patio. 3 5 comments Best Add a Comment halfbajan 2 yr. ago Hi there! Spider mites may be a concern in dry conditions. Looking forward to hopefully having blooms next year. This plant can work in a variety of soil pHs, types, and moisture levels. As summer progresses shiny, disease-free foliage appears until fall when the foliage turns a stunning garnet-red. They bloomed in 2019 no fragrance detected. Be inspired with our Gardener's Idea Book and Winner's Circle newsletter, Little Henry - Sweetspire - Itea virginica. During the late summer or early fall, collect the small brown seed pods from the plant. To create an idea board, sign in or create an account. Merlot is named for its fall color which is dark red and persists into winter. 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. The serrated, glossy, dark green foliage turns golden-yellow in fall. Attracts butterflies. To get your plant off to a good start, work some organic matter into the soil and cover the root zone with a layer of mulch to help keep the soil cool and moist. Make sure there are other plants around, as the plant will look bare until the leaves appear at the end of spring. 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. Here are ideas for taking advantage of its many attributes: RELATED: Sign up for a free trial and get access to ALL our regional content, plus the rest That'll take the majority of scale insects and eggs along with it. Keep soil moist to wet. As low as $29.99 . In such climates, plant it along woodland edges where it gets partial shade, which will help the plants stay cool and thrive. Any thoughts on these two shrubs? It has a long period of good autumn color with leaves that turn shades of red, orange, and gold. We'll see if they make it. What is not to love??? She is a former Clemson University Extension Agent. You could also divide the plants if you'd like during the move. It produces fragrant drooping white flowers in early summer and turns deep red in the fall. Plant near a patio or other outdoor living space to fully enjoy the sweet-smelling flowers. They also suggested as an option pulling the plants and starting over again. All rights reserved (About Us). After the bloom, the flowers leave small, dark brown seed capsule fruits that look like peppercorns. Does well in sun or shade, dry or wet soil, all types of soil (normal, clay or sandy) & nice red fall color! Their vibrant color will create a pop of color in your border until those first frosts settle in. Scentlandia sweetspire delivers on all three! As noted by others it depends on your preferred features. Get the latest how-to and design inspiration articles plus special offers sent straight to your inbox. To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of our site. 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. A compact cultivar bearing large clusters of clove-scented white flowers that are irresistible to bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. 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. Photo by: Tim Ludwig / Millette Photomedia. CareLike other summersweets, Sixteen Candles loves wet locations in partial shade but does fine in average garden soil in full sun. 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. 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. 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. The shrub grows best in partial shade and a moist, slightly acid soil. Vanessa Richins Myers has a BS in horticulture and over 10 years of training and experience as a professional horticulturist and gardener. Its fragrant, bottlebrush flowers are a darker pink; they attract butterflies, bees, and other insects in late summer and early fall. A wonderful native plant from Mark Griffith, and our favorite Sweetspire for color and habit. Height 2.5-3 Feet Tall. The flowers are notable for their size, how late they bloom, and their ability to bloom even in the shade. Purchased this plant in late April and over the past three months it has adapted well and had significant growth. NC State Extension Service Plant Finder. Politique d'Utilisation des Cookies de Houzz. Best Flowering Shrubs for Season-Long Color 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. 2023 Proven Winners North America LLC. 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. Find out where you fall in the USDA Hardiness Zones database. Prune if needed in late winter. Sunlight is also a requirement, as these shrubs need full sun as well as slightly acidic soil to achieve the best results. It also attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Find a Garden Center that carries Proven Winners plants & products. '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. Note this is the default cart. Thrives in moist, wet areas, but once established, can tolerate dry conditions. Virginia sweetspire is a deciduous shrub with arching stems and alternate simple leaves that are oval in shape and dark green in color. Itea is one of the few shrubs that will still flower reasonably well even in shade.

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