Any ideas?Tammy. Except for fertilization and minor pruning, this plant is maintenance-free. Burning Bush is a plant quite similar to this one, though it is more susceptible to disease and pests. Summersweet thrives in moist climates, and tolerates both heat above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and freezing cold winters. There is also at least one dwarf clethra available. A good choice for smaller gardens and tight spaces. Then watch for a return of the leaf-spotting and scale. In June and July, sweetspire bears lovely spikes of fragrant, white blossoms. Suggested Use: Hedge, Naturalize, Rain Garden, Tolerate: Heavy Shade, Erosion, Clay Soil, Wet Soil. If so, and the site is suitable, maybe do a mixed planting. I'm starting to see some of the red fall color! Bury the seed one inch in the soil and keep it moist. Had beautiful red 2023 Proven Winners North America LLC. 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. It is also a delightful addition to the mixed border. Then I'd look for an afternoon-shade location and transplant the stubby remnants and roots there. This plant is best grown in full sun, part shade or full shade in average, medium to wet, slightly acid, well-drained soils. Consider the hours of sunlight you wish your summersweet to receive during its growing season. Copyright 2023. A dwarf summersweet shrub with fragrant white flowers and a dense, rounded shape. PropagationTake greenwood cuttings in early summer. Root greenwood cuttings in early summer. Find locations near you that offer Proven Winners products. Summersweet typically spreads to 4 to 6 feet and forms an oval shape. Thrives in moist, wet areas, but once established, can tolerate dry conditions. If desired, fertilize in spring with a granular fertilizer formulated for trees and shrubs, like a rose fertilizer. Then use a good potting medium and seed trays to germinate the plants indoors. Sugartina 'Crystalina' Buy now from Proven Winners. Remove lower leaves on the cuttings, dip the ends in rooting hormone, and tuck into a mixture of half perlite and half potting soil. Garden Uses: Sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), also called summersweet, is a Maryland native plant found in forested wetlands, floodplains, and swamps. It is a tough, dependable plant with three-season interest, especially in shady, wet sites. Which would you recommend? This sturdy native shrub is also remarkably adaptable, tolerating shade, soggy soil, and salty air, making it a valuable addition to woodland settings and coastal gardens. Virginia sweetspire does well during the winter, though those in colder climates might see some dieback of the tips of the shrub during the harsh cold. They also suggested as an option pulling the plants and starting over again. Virginia sweetspire grows quite well in very hot conditions, provided it gets plenty of water. My understanding is both summersweet and virginia sweetspire would be good potential candidates for this location, but was wondering if one would be better suited (i.e. So if you'd rather have the fragrant blooms of clethra in the summer (patio season? Definitely loved by the deer and it colonizes out of control. Julie Thompson-Adolf is a Master Gardener and author. CareProvide full sun to partial shade and fertile, preferably acidic, medium to wet soil. 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. 20 Fragrant Flowering Plants Water regularly as needed so the soil does not dry out. It prefers acidic, sandy soil that is moist but will tolerate clay soils, as long as they're amended with organic material, and full shade. Slow-growing summersweet's leaves are obovate and serrated, 1 1/2- to 4-inches long, and change from a glossy dark green in summer to yellow or brown in the fall. In fall, the leaves turn an attractive yellow. 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. 3 5 comments Best Add a Comment halfbajan 2 yr. ago Hi there! 'Sixteen Candles' sweet pepperbush, or summersweet, is a newer cultivar of a popular native shrub. I did and found LOTS of scales up and down the stems. If your site already is morning sun and afternoon shade, I'd try digging the plants and replanting into improved soil (see above). This Sugartina has fragrant white flowers that appear by mid-summer. Promptly remove root suckers unless naturalized look is desired. Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant. Equally as pretty in the fall with it's bright orange foliage. Tolerates full shade. Shady conditions may limit the flower production and mute the autumn color. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas. Once the roots are in place, you can move it out to the landscape. I planted them in groups of 3 in 3 locations around my home. Water regularly to keep the soil moist, especially during the first growing season. FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Plants, Design Ideas, Gardening Solutions & More! The shrub grows best in partial shade and a moist, slightly acid soil. Dig a hole that is at least twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. Additional feeding during the growing season is not necessary. She is a former Clemson University Extension Agent. Mature stems have scaly, dark gray to brown black bark. Pollinators liked them. Tolerates full shade. As colorful as burning bush, but native to North America and pollinator friendly! Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' (Summersweet) is a gorgeous, compact, slowly spreading, deciduous shrub that features bottlebrush spikes of extremely fragrant white flowers which bloom for 4-6 weeks in mid to late summer. Enhancing the prolific floral display are lustrous green leaves that turn brilliant golden-yellow in fall. (George Weigel) Q: My Virginia sweetspire plants have looked awful by summer's end the last two. Growing Zones: 3-8 . of the member-only content library. Choose Options. How to Grow and Care for Doublefile Viburnum Shrubs, How to Grow and Care for Black Lace Elderberry, How to Grow and Care for Emerald Gaiety Wintercreeper. Because clethra bloom on new growth, prune during winter or early spring to avoid removing developing flower buds. Its yellow fall color extends the season of interest. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. Note this is the default cart. Propagate by cuttings. 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. When the root system is well-established and trying to fight its way out of the container, it's time to plant it in the landscape. Summersweet is a versatile shrub that thrives in most climates and is suitable as a specimen plant or a hedge. Elsewhere, summersweet looks nice when grouped in planting beds or lined up as a shrub border. We'll see if they make it. Sign up for weekly gardening inspiration and design tips. These may survive into winter in some climates. 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 They will also do well in full sun as long as you keep the soil moist. Nice plant for an area you want to be filled in away from the house where deer are not a problem. Here's what a colony of Virginia sweetspires should look like when not attacked by fungus or bugs. 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). Merlot is named for its fall color which is dark red and persists into winter. 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 Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. All rights reserved (About Us). The flowers are notable for their size, how late they bloom, and their ability to bloom even in the shade. Warmer climates call for more shade. So far, the plant is doing very well. Was delivered healthy and packaged very well. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources. To form solid hedges, space plants a distance equal to their mature width. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Does anybody grow Moonlight in paris or tamora rose? It is originally from eastern and southern North America, but grows naturally along the Atlantic coast and west to Texas. Very disappointed and am hoping for the brilliant fall color it is supposed to have. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Its mounded, compact stature makes it an improvement over older varieties such as the old favorite 'Henry's Garnet'. Common Name: sweet pepperbush Type: Deciduous shrub Family: Clethraceae Zone: 4 to 8 Height: 4.00 to 6.00 feet Spread: 3.00 to 5.00 feet Bloom Time: July to August Bloom Description: Rose pink Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium to wet Maintenance: Low Suggested Use: Hedge, Naturalize, Rain Garden Flower: Showy, Fragrant Leaf: Good Fall 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. Even deer tend to leave it alone. ProblemsFungal dieback and root rot can occur. No serious insect or disease problems. This shrub usually grows to 3 to 6 feet in height, but can be up to 8-feet tall. Store them in a sealed container, tucked away in the refrigerator until spring rolls around. This results in a lack of chlorophyll, which in turn results in leaves that lose their color and fade. Deleting this collection CANNOT be undone. 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Any thoughts on these two shrubs? 'Hummingbird' is a popular Summersweet cultivar because it is more compact and more floriferous than the species. I'm in zone 5, mid Missouri. They were beautiful in the fall, changing to shades of red, and held their leaves for a while. After the bloom, the flowers leave small, dark brown seed capsule fruits that look like peppercorns. Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica; Zones 5-9) enjoys the same cultural requirements as summersweet and it will do fine in a regular garden setting as long as the soil is relatively moist. Mulch is a good idea. Be inspired with our Gardener's Idea Book and Winner's Circle newsletter, Scentlandia - Sweetspire - Itea virginica. Place your shrub in the hole, gently spreading out the roots, and then backfill to ground level and water well. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Clay and wet soil tolerant. Make sure there are other plants around, as the plant will look bare until the leaves appear at the end of spring. The shrub has a rounded habit and produces cylindrical drooping flowers (racemes) from late spring to mid-summer. Native from southern New Jersey down to Florida, it is winter hardy to Zone 5 . It grows well in both full sun and partial shade, though it will achieve the best shape, flower color, and fall color in full sun. 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. Read our. That most likely would work, but if that's what you're going to have to do constantly to maintain a good-looking planting of sweetspires, that's when I'd give up and switch to fothergilla, summersweet, abelia, dwarf oakleaf hydrangea or another alternative.