Itea virginica (Virginia Sweetspire)


Botanical Information

FamilySaxifrageaceae
GenusItea
Speciesvirginica
CategoryWoody
TypeShrub (deciduous)
OriginSouthern United States of America.

Details

USDA Hardiness Zone5a - 9b
USDA Hardiness Ref.
Canadian Hardiness Zone6 - 10
Canada Hardiness Ref.
RHS Hardiness ZoneH4 - H7
RHS Hardiness Ref.
Height0.9 - 1.8 m
Spread0.9 - 1.8 m
GrowthMedium
Flowering PeriodMay, June

Description and Growing Information

ShapeMound shaped shrub growing to approximately 90 - 180 cm in height and about the same size in spread.
LandscapeUsed in shrub borders, hedges and as a groucover.
PropagationSeeds are collected in late summer or early autumn, removed from capsule and stored in sealed, refrigerated containers. The seeds are tiny and germinate best if sown thinly in flats in a greenhouse. Semi-hardwood cuttings taken in late summer or early autumn will root.
CultivationFull sun to part-shade, prefers moist and slightly acidic pH. Not tolerant of dry soils and should be watered during droughts outside natural habitat. Can grow in areas with extremely poor drainage like swamps.
PestsTar spot possible. Chlorosis tends to develop if the soils pH rises above 7.
HabitatFloodplain woodlands, margins of lakes/rivers and swamps.
Flower/Leaf Bud DescriptionSuperposed buds and are above the axillary buds. Flower buds are cone shaped and tiny. Clumped at the tip of the stem and surrounding the stem for about 5 - 15 cm.
Leaf DescriptionAlternate leaf arrangement, the leaves are usually 3.8 - 10 cm long and 1.9 - 3 cm wide with a fairly glabrous leaf surface.
Flower DescriptionExtend in drooping, cylindrical racemes of about 5 - 15 cm the tip of the branch. Individual flowers composed of 5 long thin petals resting on some evolved, protective leaves that are elevated by a tiny stem. Flowers are fragrant.
Fruit DescriptionCapsule-like.
Colour DescriptionFoliage is medium to dark green and yellowish-orange and burgundy in the autumn. Flowers are white. Bark is a reddish-purple when exposed to sun. The fruit is green changing to a brown as it ages.
Texture DescriptionFine and may change to medium on old wood or after secondary growth.

Photographs