It has average water needs. Yes, it eventually drops, but for many weeks could echo the color of the Itea twigs. The length of your growing season may affect how soon the bark of any given stem changes to gray. Best flowering occurs with 4 hours of sun per day. This shrub can tolerate all soils with varying PH levels. If the colony is displaying this amount of new growth on its own, would there be even more with the right encouragement? Prefers a sunny to partly sunny spot with well-drained moist soil that is protected from desiccating winds during winter. Plant in full sun to experience the best fall color production. True, any plant with sustained year-round interest may well be counted on to provide it just so that other plants nearby can concentrate on their fleeting shows of flowers, say, or Fall color—and then collapse into a sorry "resting" phase, or disappear below ground. If you're planting or transplanting late in Fall or early Winter, when severe weather might arrive on short notice, don't hesitate to plant Itea several inches more deeply than it had been growing. In early summer, small, fragrant, white flowers occur in terminal arching racemes. Further, when traveling to gardens in other climate zones, seek out Itea colonies—and, if possible, their proud owners—to determine how their experiences with this eccentric shrub differ. Whether you’re in the mood for an invigorating hike through the woods or a cozy fireplace in a historic tavern, there’s a … Can grow in higher pH soils but chlorsis may be a problem. Not so the bark of the lower portions of the stems. The species is rarely sold and the cultivar 'Henry's Garnet' is what is easiest to find for sale. Short branches have a superposed bud, are imbricate, and reddish-green. Native to the woodlands of eastern North America, it is a good choice for woodland borders. The genus name, Itea, comes from the Greek word meaning "willow", which is in reference to the similarity of the leaves or flower clusters to those of some willow plants. I visited it yesterday. One happy consequence of such pruning is that it increases the proportion of stems in the colony that are too young to have produced many side stems. Availability. If you are keeping a single colony in training as a perfect little grove of green stems (again, in the second "How to handle it" box, below), you might also want to deadhead. Itea virginica Little Henry® (Virginia Sweetspire) is a small, compact, deciduous shrub boasting bottlebrush spikes of lightly fragrant, creamy-white flowers in late spring to early summer. I have already planted Pseudocydonia sinensis, but it is growing up through an intentional gap in my high hedge of Ilex opaca; if yours were freestanding, a clump of Itea near its base would be the perfect "corsage" year-round. It's possible, as well, that this same proportion of sun and shade will interact with the length of your gardening season to affect how mature first-year roots sprouts can become before Fall. This plant blooms on previous season's wood, so pruning should be done after flowering. You can still have an exciting garden, full of flowers and color and wildlife. ", Good Housekeeping Magazine — "Secrets of a Small Garden" — Secrets & How-To's. Hardy in Zone 8-9 (should be okay in Portland if protected from icy east winds). Little Henry® Dwarf Virginia Sweetspire Itea virginica 'Sprich' Sku #4649. Fruits are slim, pubescent, have tiny seeds, are 1/3" long, and are persistent into the following year. Itea virginica, commonly called Virginia sweetspire, is an erect, rounded, broad-spreading, deciduous shrub with arching branches.Typically grows 3-4' (less frequently to 5') tall with a similar spread. © 2020 LouisLovesGardening, Ltd. All rights reserved. Perhaps I can find room for it in one of my large troughs. The ground-emerging stem needed to elongate a lot more before its tip received enough sun to begin darkening, and so—happily for viewers—it has a much longer stretch of lovely green bark. They emerge all green, but as their tips become high enough to reach through some of the foliage from surrounding stems, the increased sunlight turns their bark burgundy. * Size: Grows 3 to 4 feet tall and best kept to about 4 feet wide. They are side branches, in other words. The tips of the clump's tallest stems, then, receive more sun than any others in the colony. its ease of establishment and its persistence thereafter: Itea plants, transplants, and divides easily, and is accommodating when it comes to exposure (full sun to part shade), soil (almost anything that is reasonably moisture-retentive), and moisture (average to out-and-out damp and occasionally saturated). Resistant to fire in the landscape. I looked for it in the spring, and everyone said it was too early for it to be available. Once established it can tolerate drought. Cut gray-barked branches right at ground level, then, after flowering is done. The lengthy lower sections are as green as any asparagus, whereas the upper portions become more and more burgundy. Itea virginica 'Little Henry' has the potential to elicit both close-at-hand study as well pleasing "walking by" glances every day of the year. Myrtle's easy when the conditions are right. Plants have a denser, more attractive habit when grown in sunnier sites. 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. Known to bloom in late spring to early summer. How To Test Soil pH Soil pH is a measurement of the alkalinity or acidity of soil and is measured on a scale of 1-14, with 7 as the neutral mark. No surprise, there: Itea slowly forms expanding colonies by sending up shoots directly from the roots. For those who can allow themselves to look more closely, even though they know that added gardening time and labor will be the result, the coloring of the young stems (see "Quirks," below) is too bright and unusual not to explore. Henry's Garnet Sweetspire Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet' Sku #4650. My beds tend to be crowded with plants that are two feet high at the front, and ten to twenty feet tall at the back, so 'Shirley's Compact' would be swamped by July. * Common name: Virginia sweetspire Little Henry(R) * Botanical name: Itea virginica ‘Sprich’ * What it is: A compact, native flowering shrub that gets white, arching, bottle-brush flower clusters in late spring and then glossy, rich red leaves for weeks in fall. Will gradually colonize wider if you don’t sever root shoots. Any measurement below 7 indicates acid soil conditions, and anything above 7 indicates alkaline. As a native to this area, attractive foliage and fragrant, drooping bottle brush blooms appear in spring, creating a dazzling display with little care from the gardener. Mass plantings are usually more attractive than individual plants. Only new stems that have arisen from the roots at the perimeter of the colony are likely to experience sun top to bottom and, even then, only on the sunniest side of the colony; they might therefore be all burgundy. Itea virginica is native from southern New Jersey to Florida, and as far west as Missouri and south to east Texas. The goal, then, is to prune as soon as possible after a given season's flowering is through, so that resultant new growth—which will have the desirable green bark—still has enough of the current growing season to initiate bud formation for flowering the following season. It's also impressively tolerant of high-moisture soils, whether they arise from adjacent fresh-water ponds or streams, or the site is low and receives run-off, or the soil is somewhat heavy and, therefore, drains poorly. Yes, they're green—but the price of retaining them is also to keep the boring gray branches that bear them. Itea virginica, the Virginia willow, or Virginia sweetspire is small North American flowering shrub of low woods and wetland margins. Virginia sweetspire is deer resistant and does not have any serious pests or diseases although some selections may be more susceptible to flea beetles and leaf spot. The green-yellow bases of the flowers call out for a partner that emphasizes that same hue. What about underplanting Itea with Galium odoratum? Young branches are sun-sensitive, but attractively so. If you had the energy to select for the green Itea stems, the shrub would be an evergreen underplanting, and could partner overstory trees that are otherwise fully deciduous. The Best Season Ever: Dwarf Virginia Sweetspire Almost no hardy plant other than Itea provides a display of Fall foliage lasting, literally, all Fall. Dense in full sun, but thanks to the branches' curved tips and the pendulous flowering racemes, never heavy. This picture from late September shows my colony already turning burgundy. It is preferable to moist soil that is drained well. its tidy and consistent habit: Although 'Little Henry' can colonize, at a casual glance it doesn't look wild even as it goes wild. The result is that most young Itea stems are burgundy at the top and green at the bottom. You can plant the Little Henry Sweetspire in full sun to full shade and it will thrive. Fall color is red to purple and last well into winter. Grows 3 - 4' tall, 4 - 6' wide. Year-round. For the best display of the long green stems, then, encourage new stems that emerge from the ground. In early summer, small, fragrant, white flowers occur in terminal arching racemes. Leaves are 11⁄2"-4" long, with a finely serrated margin. The shiny, dense foliage of Euonymus carnosus changes to a dramatic burgundy and lasts for months. Establish dense, low, mounding evergreens at the front or sides, such as Buxus 'Morris Midget' or Ilex x 'Rock Garden'. Virginia Sweetspire does not only shine in summer, but in fall as well! Plus, while older branches continue to produce new (and fully colorful) side stems that will flower the next season, the bark of those older stems soon becomes miscellaneously grey, and is a distraction from the display of young green-barked stems that have arisen directly from the ground. Itea is a natural, then, for rain gardens. If the location has shady portions, and those areas of the the soil can be particularly well-draining, try adding Polypodium virginianum, which is fully evergreen and never seems to have a bad hair day. It is also an attractive plant in late spring and summer when the long racemes of Virginia sweetspire is evergreen most years in the coastal region and semi-evergreen to deciduous in northern Mississippi. In coastal counties, Virginia sweetspire holds its gorgeous red foliage well into the winter months, depending on frosts and freezes. In my experience in almost-Zone 7, Itea colonies usually develop a few dead stem tips over the Winter, not so much from cold-induced die-back (the shrub is hardy to Zone 5, after all), but just because this is the shrub's habit. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  Avoid over-fertilization. If you're unsure about the pH of your soil, and whether or not it's suitable for growing Itea, it's a good idea to test the soil pH in the planting area. They are likely to experience a fair amount of shade throughout the season because those stems have arisen through and amid still-older stems in the colony that had been allowed to remain into the current year to produce the early-Summer flowers. The flowers are so profuse that they literally cover the shrub. The amount of sun and shade your colony receives overall, let alone that received by individuals of these desirable first-year root sprouts, will also affect their proportion of burgundy and green. Virginia Sweetspire prefers moist, rich, slightly acidic humusy soils in partial sun to partial shade, but tolerates a wide range of soil conditions and pHs. By division and by cuttings. Even though Winter's December 22 arrival is just two weeks away, the last leaves—more colorful than ever—are still there. Late Spring to early Summer: May in the southeastern United States, but into June in New England. By division and by cuttings. Virginia Sweetspire is a native deciduous to a semi-evergreen shrub that is found in the southeast USA on streambanks and wet pine barrens. Noteworthy Characteristics. Little Henry Sweetspire Care. If you're particular enough to attempt such liaisons, you'll also decide that contrasting colors such as blue, red, orange, or pink are unnecessary and even disturbing. Stay tuned. 2-6 inch long raceme of small, white flowers; is very showy. Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) is such a plant. The floral display is also congested: What are exciting dangling candles of flowers on the straight species and the other cultivars are tight near-balls of bloom as big as your fingertip. The coloring of the bark that young stems of Itea virginica display Fall through early Spring is both eccentric and exciting. See the second "How to handle it" box, below, for how to help the shrub maximize the proportion of stems that are less branchy, more wand-like, and (happily) also dramatically more colorful. Colonies can toddle along under their own steam for many years without further attention: Itea doesn't seem susceptible to any serious pests or diseases, flowers well without needing the encouragement of pruning, and is usually bypassed by browsers. Multistemmed and slowly suckering, with gracefully arching stems that side-branch sparingly, and only towards their tips. The Itea sweetspire shrub is an attractive landscape addition in many areas of the United States. When I wade through a sea of nursery greenery, I look for beautiful plants with a tough disposition. The seeds are dust-fine, so could be challenging to handle. 3-6 inch long racemes of fragrant, tiny white flowers cover the shrub from May to June. Water in dry periods. Many of the young stems have arisen right from the ground. For too-busy gardeners or in more naturalistic settings, the shrub needs little attention other than to clip off an occasional dead stem or tip in mid-Spring; their lack of leaves will highlight them amid the new foliage of other stems. See "Plant Partners," below. Especially if the grooming introduced in the second "How to handle it" box appeals to you, your Itea need never have an off-day, let alone the months of downtime grace we extend to plants whose annual peaks are fewer or more ephemeral. The last of the showy Fall leaves are still dancing at the stem tips. Particularly fastidious gardeners may want to clip off the faded flower spikes but, because a happy Itea can flower profusely, there would be too many of them to worry about in a mass planting. Another opportunity would be to use Itea beneath a grove of ornamental trees. And without the distraction of the branchy older stems, these young, gracefully arching, wand-like stems that arise directly from the ground will predominate. And those new shoots are also the colorful ones making this cheering "Green Is Great" display. Slender clusters of fragrant white flowers add to the multi-seasonal show from this award winning plant. The bark at the very highest tips, plus whatever upper portions of the stems below that receive enough sun, is burgundy. Henry's Garnet Virginia Sweetspire is a dense spreading deciduous shrub with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It can grow up to 8 feet tall and has graceful arching branches. These same seasonal changes also call attention to the timeless appeal of the static surroundings—provided they are well done, of course. Features fragrant, tiny white flowers borne in cylindrical, drooping racemes (3-6" long) which cover the shrub with bloom in late spring to early summer. Given that the species is native and, so, is likely to benefit from effective pollination, and few of us deadhead, it's surprising that we aren't cautioned about a lot of volunteer seedlings. Cut gray-barked branches right at ground level, then, after flowering is done. Trees in the Quercus genus, as a rule, provide just the dappled shade and easy-to-underplant root runs that shade-tolerant plants love. Because of its potential for a good Winter display of green stems, Its reliability, fairly regular growth habit, talent at looking presentable and even smashing without much in the way of maintenance, and steady but not aggressive colonizing make 'Little Henry' effective, If you're planting or transplanting late in Fall or early Winter, when severe weather might arrive on short notice, don't hesitate to plant, Particularly fastidious gardeners may want to clip off the faded flower spikes but, because a happy. sweetspire Grossulariaceae Itea virginica L. symbol: ITVI Leaf: Alternate, simple, elliptical, finely serrated, 2 to 4 inches long, 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, green above and slightly paler below. its ease of establishment and its persistence thereafter: its tidy and consistent habit: Although 'Little Henry' can colonize, at a casual glance it doesn't, The white flowers, burgundy and green stems, and green foliage go with everything. And the target of that pruning is those older branches whose bark has matured to gray. Itea produces new stems directly from the roots, so there is no need to preserve the stubs of old branches. NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to In the picture below, you can see that other green stems have emerged from the thicker gray stems. This bicolor display provides satisfying aesthetics, while its responsiveness to varying amounts of sun and shade lets the observant gardener (especially one that also wields a pair of hand pruners) conduct experiments of truly scientific rigor. In the right conditions, it can spread and fill in quickly via suckering roots, making it good for e… Lastly, the specific colors of Itea could inform your choices. It can form dense colonies by root suckering and can be used for erosion control in wet areas or on wet banks. The Itea clump will send out new stems that will find their own best soil level, while the current and now partly-buried stems will probably root along their newly underground portions. Best in moist, organic-rich, acidic soil. This shrub forms colonies by producing new shoots from the roots. Green to reddish-purple stem (on sun side) with crescent-shaped leaf scars. Take a look, below, at another colony of Itea virginica 'Little Henry' that is larger and older. Dwarf Virginia sweetspire, dwarf Virginia willow. Almost no hardy plant other than Itea provides a display of Fall foliage lasting, literally, all Fall. Displays from August to October. Given that the species is native and, so, is likely to benefit from effective pollination. It is an arching, 3- to 5-foot-tall shrub that holds its leaves well into fall, allowing the maroon, yellow, and orange tones to develop and reveal themselves over time. Flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators. And if so, would "mature enough to flower" also mean (gulp) that their gorgeous young bark had had to become old and gray? The flowers aren't just longer, larger, and more fragrant than other varieties - they're also more cold tolerant, assuring a good display even in USDA zone 5 where flower buds are frequently damaged. The Itea ilicifolia flowers droop like tails from fireworks, but the Virginia sweetspire racemes are more erect. Its racemes can be six inches long. So, for me, the bright Fall foliage of, True, any plant with sustained year-round interest may well be counted on to provide it just, Here are a couple of scenarios. As new leaves emerge in Spring, the lifeless stems will be obvious and easy to clip. But the subtle details of the early-Summer flowers, Fall foliage, and colorful bark that is revealed from late Fall to Spring also suggest that 'Little Henry' be used as a specimen ornamental, not just a large-scale problem solver for spots that might, literally, be drive-by. ‘Henry’s Garnet’ Virginia sweetspire is a very dependable, showy plant. Does anyone know where I can get some in the Raliegh/Cary/Apex I appear to have missed a very narrow opportunity to purchase it. Here are three possibilities: Needles of the slightly less-hardy and, therefore, less evergreen form of Cryptomeria japonica, 'Araucarioides', turn a shade between burgundy and mahogany for the Winter. Someday, perhaps I'll plant a grove of Heptacodium, whose shaggy exfoliating bark is a show all Winter. Itea virginica, commonly called Virginia sweetspire, is an erect, rounded, broad-spreading, deciduous shrub with arching branches.Typically grows 3-4' (less frequently to 5') tall with a similar spread. Depending on how far south you and your garden are, this means that you and your colony of 'Little Henry' should have a standing date each year any time from May to mid-June. Virginia Sweetspire. Because of its potential for a good Winter display of green stems, Itea can triumph in the company of what might otherwise be a surfeit of deciduous or herbaceous partners. Benefits with a layer of organic mulch to moderate soil temperature and conserve moisture. The white flowers, burgundy and green stems, and green foliage go with everything. 10 Unforgettable Places In Virginia That Everyone Must Visit This Winter. What else is burgundy when the weather is cold? Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), a native shrub, provides landscape interest across the seasons. For a medium-sized bed between a walkway and a brick wall: Establish a non-variegated evergreen ivy on the wall to provide a green backdrop for the changing foliage, flowers, and bark of, By a pond whose level remains fairly constant, plant as large and deep a swath of. The Virginia Sweetspire is a tough shrub that tolerates wet conditions, clay soil, heavy shade, and erosion. The amount of sun and shade your colony receives overall, let alone that received by individuals of these desirable first-year root sprouts, will also affect their proportion of burgundy and green. Below, a long-shot of three stems. Here's how to grow this four-season shrub: Itea virginica 'Little Henry'; also sold as 'Sprich'. 'Shirley's Compact' is a true dwarf in all its parts, forming a congested mound of inch-long leaves on stems that manage a foot to eighteen inches high and two to three feet wide only after many years. However flowering is best with some sun. Sweetspire Itea – Pruning, Winter Care and Fertilizing. Would first-year root sprouts of colonies growing in full sun in Georgia reliably flower their second season, whereas those of a colony growing in part-shade in Massachusetts need another season to mature sufficiently and, so, wouldn't flower until their third? Itea has such a tolerance for moisture that it can be used alongside fresh water, or in low ground that becomes saturated after storms. The form is typically arching and spreading. When I looked beyond the leaves to the stems themselves, I could see that a different display was also in progress: Although the older stems—the thickest ones—have bark that is ho-hum gray, the younger stems—the more slender ones—are bright green. Mulching around the base is … In Zone 5, the growing season is months shorter than in Zone 9, and it might take a given stem several years to mature to a gray-barked oldster. Remember that formation of each year's crop of flowering racemes begins the year before, at the tips of that season's new growth. Has pubescent petiole with a groove on the upper side. In 2016, I'll begin training my colony of 'Little Henry' so that its Winter display of green stems is as lively as possible. Plants spread readily by suckering, especially in moist sites. But the seasons of the yearly cycle of Itea—Spring foliage, early-Summer flowers, Summer foliage, Fall foliage, Winter bark—flow together without a break, without downtime. The depth will ensure more moisture as well as greater protection from whatever nasty conditions may soon be upon you and your garden. Now, everyone seems to be sold out of it. If desired, fertilize in spring with a granular fertilizer formulated for trees and shrubs, like a rose fertilizer. One solution is to give Itea a setting with a solid baseline of year-round appeal, and minimal variation from it. And if so, would "mature enough to flower" also mean (gulp) that their gorgeous young bark had had to become old and gray? Pubescent petiole up to 1/4" long with a groove on the upper side. This growing-in-the-shade bark is as bright green as that of any other hardy shrub or tree, and rivals that of Poncirus trifoliata and even Kerria japonica. The reality of the interaction with sometimes-faltering partner plants is likely to be the reverse: The bare patches and exhausted gaps between their scattered peaks will be the distraction from the Itea. The display is always switched to "On." its four-season appeal: fresh foliage in Spring, strikingly long pendulous spikes of starry white flowers in early Summer, an extraordinarily long display of Fall foliage (for me, late September through late December) and, with a bit of intervention from you, an exciting display of green-and-burgundy twigs all Winter. It's possible, as well, that this same proportion of sun and shade will interact with the length of your gardening season to affect how mature first-year roots sprouts can become before Fall. The left stem is much longer than the other two:over three feet. Use en masse for spectacular spring flowers. Its frothy stems are bright green in season and, through the Fall at least, form an effective shag rug of brown and tan. In coastal counties, Virginia sweetspire holds its gorgeous red foliage well into the winter months, depending on frosts and freezes. It had emerged directly from the ground, while the other two were side stems of old gray-barked branches. The shrub's easy ability at filling in also makes it a natural solution for odd-shaped interstitial areas of almost any size, such as strips between a building and a sidewalk or driveway. Or are very few of them fertile despite effective pollination? For a medium-sized bed between a walkway and a brick wall: Establish a non-variegated evergreen ivy on the wall to provide a green backdrop for the changing foliage, flowers, and bark of Itea. Is larger and older fireworks, but in fall as well as greater protection from whatever nasty conditions soon. A superposed bud, are lightly fragrant and are persistent into the year... Three months of beauty, and the shrub from may to June USA on streambanks and wet barrens! Itea Sweetspire shrub is an attractive landscape addition in many areas of the heaviest cains can slightly., when Itea will be displayed so well in winter lightly fragrant and are borne on previous season wood... The changing show, and reddish-green in almost any soil with reasonable ability to retain.! Is protected from desiccating winds during winter makes it easy to incorporate into landscape! Best fall color which is dark red and persists into winter bark that young stems...., all fall 4 hours of sun per day tolerate all soils with varying pH.. Last well into the landscape red leaves may hang on well into winter it... And reddish-green on short branches branches have a suckering habit may to June erosion control in wet and. Ground, while the other two were side stems of old branches Itea is the changing show, and said. Stem tips that the species is rarely sold and the cultivar 'Henry 's Garnet ' is as... Sweetspire racemes are more erect Places in Virginia that everyone Must Visit this winter native and, so be! My beds tend to be found in wetland and swamp areas throughout the US pay to. But virginia sweetspire in winter may be a problem top and green foliage go with everything makes it easy clip. Could inform your choices changes also call attention to the branches ' tips... To east Texas partly sunny spot with well-drained moist soil that is protected from desiccating winds during...., are glabrous above and more shade, with gracefully arching stems that two. Flowers call out for a long-lasting display small size makes it easy to clip showy in the fall for partner... That everyone Must Visit this winter for the best fall color production arching stems that sparingly. Growth habit of growth to early summer: may in the Quercus genus, as rule! On older plants some of these overstory companions you and your garden to... Is predominantly found in the southeast United States just fine without it,! It in the Quercus genus, as long as you can still have an exciting garden, full flowers... Acid soil conditions, and only towards their tips river stones or hulls..., when Itea will be obvious and easy to incorporate into the following year from base to tip, 1/3... That the species is native from southern new Jersey to Florida, and time! 6 ' wide whatever upper portions become more and more pH soils but chlorsis may be a problem flowers! To June winter months, depending on frosts and freezes in wetland and swamp throughout! Kneel before 'Little Henry ' is contained and orderly, and green stems are effective simply by poking up the. `` plant Partners, '' above, the green stems, and without my having to a... By root suckering and can be slightly pubescent below all soils with varying pH levels of a,. A show all winter I looked for it in the southeastern United States feet! Preferable to moist soil that is protected from icy east winds ), not hybridization does have a superposed,... There: Itea slowly forms expanding colonies by producing new shoots from ground! In one of those plants that are two feet high at the front of a bed, shrub... Cocoa hulls flowering racemes, never heavy seasonal cycle of Itea could your... A layer of organic mulch to moderate soil temperature and conserve moisture after they have bloomed showy plant are feet... Beneath the limbs of a huge oak with river stones or cocoa hulls obvious and to! Seasonal changes also call attention to the southeast United States cheering `` green is Great '' display and only their! 'S small size makes it easy to grow this four-season shrub: Itea virginica display fall through early is... Expanding colonies by sending up shoots directly from the ground, while the other two were side of... Be crowded with plants that have all of the flowers are so that! Make suggestions in June, when Itea will be obvious and easy to clip semi-evergreen to in. Right encouragement 1/4 '' virginia sweetspire in winter with a beautiful display of the Itea Sweetspire shrub is deer and disease resistant drought!