What characteristics define the “ consummate ” bush for your landscape ? Should it be aboriginal ? Deer - resistant ? Drought tolerant ? A source of nectar for pollinators ? humble - upkeep ? Attractive in more than one season ? If you answered yes to any or all of these , thenItea virginicaor Virginia sweetspire may be just the plant for you .
This tough , extremely adaptable shrub is native to the United States in USDA zones 6 – 9 from New Jersey to Florida on the Atlantic coast , extending westward throughout the Mississippi River Valley to southern Illinois . In the natural state , Virginia sweetspire can be found grow in wetlands , along stream bed and along the margins of lakes and ponds . In the urban landscape painting , this various shrub provides multiple time of year of interest , make it a in particular valuable add-on to the cosmetic garden .
DESCRIPTION
Virginia sweetspire is an vertical or mounded , thick branched , deciduous bush with gracefully arc branches . It render nesting and protection for wildlife as well as food for bee , butterflies and moths . In the urban landscape painting , this mid - sized bush develop 3 to 5 feet grandiloquent and has a spreading growing drug abuse . In the state of nature , it may grow tall and long-shanked , particularly in moist or shaded sites .
This bush has three seasons of stake . In late May and June , it is get over in a blanket of 5 to 6 inches long , whitened , sweet scented , ament - corresponding “ spires ” ( thus , the flora ’s common name ) . Lasting for several weeks , the fragrant and graceful peak are a magnet for bees and butterflies . Depending on the cultivar , the blossoms may either be held upright or cascade graciously over the foliation . The flowers are grow on last year ’s growth ( old woodwind instrument ) .
In summer , the floral exhibit is exchange with fertile , average to dreary immature leafage , which makes the shrub an attractive choice for foundation plantings . The attractive , sheeny leaves are alternate , simple , toothed , elongate , and 1 to 4 inches long .
In fall , the foliage modification from its ample immature summer color to arresting , long - hold out tone of recondite red , over-embellished , orangish , and scandalmongering . While the flowered display in late spring is attractive , it is the rich autumn color that makes this flora peculiarly valued in the landscape painting . The fall color vary , depending on sun exposure . Full sun exposure bring out the most vibrant fall colouring material .
While it would be nice to say that Virginia sweetspire is the “ staring ” shrub for the landscape , it does have one downside — a tendency to sucker . The mother plant give rise shoots from the root organization that may develop into a colony of slender stems over time . The serious the grow precondition , the more it suckers . If grown in dryer sites with heavy clay soil , it suckers less smartly than it does in rich , loamy soil with mickle of wet . Depending on how you habituate it in the landscape painting , the suckering nature of this industrial plant can be view as either a positive or a negative attribute .
ethnic essential
Virginia sweetspire is a low-spirited - maintenance shrub urge for average loony toons soils with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5 and above . Alkaline soils can cause the foliage to be yellowish ( chlorotic ) due to a lack of usable iron . It prefer damp , well drained to wet soil . Although it is categorized as a wetland species , it thrive just all right with average wet term and can even digest droughty conditions . Just keep it well watered the first year to help it become well established . It will be drouth broad once it is happily established .
It will uprise a denser , more attractive use when grown in a sunny website with at least 6 minute of sun per day , but it adapts well to shady conditions . In tone , Virginia sweetspire may grow tall and leggier and will not bloom as prolifically , nor will its fall leafage people of color be as brilliant .
Virginia sweetspire is well-to-do to propagate . Stem cuttings , taken between May and September , root in about four week . Autumn is the best fourth dimension to set forth a novel plant by root part . Simply snip one of the suckered roots devoid of the female parent plant .
Virginia sweetspire is deer resistant and does not have any serious pest or disease although some selections may be more susceptible to flea mallet and folio maculation .
LANDSCAPE note value
Adaptable to both Lord’s Day and shade , as well as to wet and dry areas , this versatile , long - survive shrub is an ideal choice for a diverseness of landscape situation including :
Bear in judgment that it may be difficult to keep Virginia sweetspire within boundaries due to its suckering habit . Give it plenty of way to spread initially .
SELECTED CULTIVARS
While the mintage is good , several select cultivars are improvements . Prior to 1982 , there were no named clon , but , since then , approximately a dozen selection or cultivars have become uncommitted commercially , including ‘ Henry ’s Garnet ’ , ‘ small Henry ’ , ‘ Sarah Eve ’ , ‘ Saturnalia ’ , ‘ Longspire ’ , ‘ Beppu ’ , ‘ Shirley ’s Compact ’ , and ‘ Merlot ’ . Not all of them have consistently good drop color , however . Of the group , the chase have fantabulous downslope color and are generally soft to find in garden centers .
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Dirr ’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs , An Illustrated Encyclopedia(Dirr , Michael A. , 1997 )
Flora of Virginia(Weakley , Alan S. , Ludwig , J. Christopher , and Townsend , John F. , 2012 )
Manual of Woody Landscape Plants(Dirr , Michael A. , 1975 , rev . 2009 )
aboriginal Plants of the Southeast(Mellichamp , Larry , 2014 )
“ Problem - Free Shrubs for Virginia Landscapes , ” Virginia Cooperative Extension ( VCE ) Publication450 - 236
“ Rain Garden Plants , ” VCE Publication426 - 043
“ Selecting Plants for Virginia Landscapes : Showy Flowering Shrubs , ” VCE PublicationHORT-84
“ Trees and Shrubs for Acid Soils , ” VCE Publication430 - 027
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society internet site ( https://phsonline.org/ )
