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. Here is a link that might be useful: Little Henry in fall. Consistent moisture in well-draining soil is a must. 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. I've seen some new growth in the month or so since planted. 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). Its branches are dense, making it suitable for hedges or privacy screens (best in summer, of course). So, I'm only rating this plant as satisfactory. Julie Thompson-Adolf is a Master Gardener and author. 2023 Proven Winners North America LLC. Water regularly to keep the soil moist, especially during the first growing season. Find locations near you that offer Proven Winners products. This compact Sweetspire starts out the summer with a beautiful display of fragrant white flowers that blanket the shrub. 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. . Little Henry is a useful native plant with lots of potential for the home landscape. Grows well in wet areas. 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). Choose Options. Root suckering will be most prevalent with shrubs planted in wet ground. No serious insect or disease problems. 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! They're also very good about pushing up new growth from the roots, even when most or all of the top growth is totally whacked back. Summersweet is a versatile shrub that thrives in most climates and is suitable as a specimen plant or a hedge. Little Henry has lightly scented, pure white flowers that shoot like fireworks in the early summer horizon. Mass or group in lawns, foundations or shrub borders. Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), a native shrub, provides landscape interest across the seasons. I planted this spring. Great for massing on large banks, in beds, and perennial and shrub borders. 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! This Sugartina has fragrant white flowers that appear by mid-summer. 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 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. 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. of the member-only content library. We'll see how the plants perform Spring and Summer before making a final decision on the plants. Fizzy Mizzy Sweetspire As low as $29.99 . Stay ahead of any root-suckering that may occur if you do not wish for the bushes to spread. This shrub flowers on new wood, so pruning for shape is best done in spring. Best all around shrub in my opinion. Garden Uses: Sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), also called summersweet, is a Maryland native plant found in forested wetlands, floodplains, and swamps. 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. Thrives in moist, wet areas, but once established, can tolerate dry conditions. Use clean garden shears to cut 3- to 4-inch cuttings, taken in the morning, from well-established healthy plants. There could be several reasons why your Virginia sweetspire isn't blooming, and the first of those reasons is waternot nearly enough of it. You say to plant "around" the patio, does that mean you are looking at planting several? Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). The shrub has a rounded habit and produces cylindrical drooping flowers (racemes) from late spring to mid-summer. David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. Grow taller varieties as hedges or privacy screens or as a backdrop in a perennial garden. 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. Does anybody grow Moonlight in paris or tamora rose? To create an idea board, sign in or create an account. A dependable shrub that is native from coastal Maine south to north Florida and then west to the eastern edge of Texas. Noteworthy CharacteristicsA shorter cultivar selected for its sturdy branching system and large (up to 6 inches), upright, white flowering "candles". Root greenwood cuttings in early summer. They were both planted on a small slope, with sun until early afternoon, and have been absolutely great the entire time. Thanks. To reverse this problem, it's important to make the soil more acidic. Soils should not be allowed to dry out. Soil: moist to wet soil; pH 4.5-6.5. Eventually, the leaves turn yellow and die. Foliage until first hard frost. Summersweet typically spreads to 4 to 6 feet and forms an oval shape. If I had more room in the garden I'd definitely buy more. Prefers moist, acidic, sandy soil but will also tolerate clay soil if its amended with compost to improve drainage. Virginia sweetspire is a deciduous shrub with arching stems and alternate simple leaves that are oval in shape and dark green in color. Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant. And if I battle the scales, how would I go about it? Height 2.5-3 Feet Tall. ), that might be the right one. 9. Problems Infrequent Genus : Clethra Zones : 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Plant Height : 3 to 6 feet Plant Width : 3 to 6 feet Bloom Time : Early Fall, Late Summer Characteristics : Fragrant Flowers, Showy Fall Foliage Light : Full Sun to Partial Shade We'll see if they make it. 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. Prune if needed in late winter. I never pruned them at any point. 20 Fragrant Flowering Plants The Garden wouldn't be the Garden without our Members, Donors and Volunteers. More about the newsletter. One of the darkest pink-flowered cultivars, flaunting deep rosy pink flowers notable for retaining their color intensity without fading. Will grow in shade, but flowering and fall color improves when the plant gets at least some sun each day. It also attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Grows up to 2-3 ft. tall and wide (60-90 cm). I'm in zone 5, mid Missouri. I am a huge fan of Proven Winners and own a lot of their shrubs, perennials, and annuals, and they usually do not disappoint. I have 9 Scentlandia. Cover with a thin layer of sand, then keep them in low light under plastic. 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. Summersweet is 3 to 10 feet tall and 3 to 8 feet wide at maturity. 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. I have a grouping of Little Henry Sweetspire right near my patio and love it. The foliage is a nice bright green in summer. As noted by others it depends on your preferred features. One of the largest summersweet cultivars, featuring rose-colored buds that gradually soften to pale pink as the flowers open and mature. Flowers give way to dark brown seed capsules (1/8" diameter) which may persist into winter. This results in a lack of chlorophyll, which in turn results in leaves that lose their color and fade. The seed capsules turn brown and persist on the plant in . They also suggested as an option pulling the plants and starting over again. Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant. The shrub grows best in partial shade and a moist, slightly acid soil. Has few insect or disease problems, with the exception of spider mites, which are more common when plants are stressed by hot, dry conditions. Virginia sweetspire grows quite well in very hot conditions, provided it gets plenty of water. Being a water-loving plant, it works well at the edges of ponds, streams, and marshy areas. Severe cases can kill the plant. Get daily tips & tricks to help make your best home, How to Grow Virginia Sweetspire From Seed, Potting and Repotting Virginia Sweetspire. In summer, 'Sixteen Candles' is topped with aromatic, erect, butterfly-enticing white blooms for 4 to 6 weeks. This is a good plant for woodland gardens or at the front of the mixed border. Keep in a high-humidity area, and cover with plastic. Summersweet is hard to transplant and slow to recover from transplanting. This compact selection reaches 3 to 5 feet tall. Vanilla Spice summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)Photo by: Proven Winners. It is also wet site tolerant. I want to put something , not to tall, around my cement patio. Summersweet is a versatile shrub that thrives in most climates and is suitable as a specimen plant or a hedge. 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. 1. To do so: Fill seeding trays or pots with moist potting mixture, and press the seeds in so they are halfway-buried. Although these bushes are considered plants tolerant of wet groundand clay soils, they will nonetheless perform best in well-drained soils. Features fragrant, tiny white flowers borne in cylindrical, drooping racemes (3-6" long) which cover the shrub . 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). It will grow in full sun to full shade, and requires little pruning or other maintenance. I plan to buy at least three more. Place your shrub in the hole, gently spreading out the roots, and then backfill to ground level and water well. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. 'Hummingbird' is a popular Summersweet cultivar because it is more compact and more floriferous than the species. Nice plant for an area you want to be filled in away from the house where deer are not a problem.