They were both planted on a small slope, with sun until early afternoon, and have been absolutely great the entire time. One of the largest summersweet cultivars, featuring rose-colored buds that gradually soften to pale pink as the flowers open and mature. This summersweet is a sport of C. alnifolia Pink Spires. Except for fertilization and minor pruning, this plant is maintenance-free. Summersweet plants usually grow 4-9ft (1.2-2.7m) tall and about 6ft (1.8m) wide, although they may spread into a mounded clump if allowed to sucker. Sunlight is also a requirement, as these shrubs need full sun as well as slightly acidic soil to achieve the best results. 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. About 4 to 6 feet apart, depending on the size at maturity and the intended use. Planted Little Henry last fall. Wow, So much info. I have both Itea 'Little Henry' and Clethra 'Ruby Spice'. Even deer tend to leave it alone. 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. I purchased 6 of these and absolutely love them. As another review said, I purchased this for the fall interest and for the lovely smell that it is supposed to possess. I planted this spring. An area with morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal. Problems With Itea Virginica | Home Guides | SF Gate Not fussy about soil pH. One of its most attractive characteristics is to produce great blooms in shady locations. In summer, 'Sixteen Candles' is topped with aromatic, erect, butterfly-enticing white blooms for 4 to 6 weeks. The shrub has a rounded habit and produces cylindrical drooping flowers (racemes) from late spring to mid-summer. 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! Summersweet prefers moist soil and even grows well in areas with standing water. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Has few insect or disease problems, with the exception of spider mites, which are more common when plants are stressed by hot, dry conditions. I just planted it this season so I will have to update my review on its performance once it is established. Accept I never pruned them at any point. Here's what a colony of Virginia sweetspires should look like when not attacked by fungus or bugs. Get the latest how-to and design inspiration articles plus special offers sent straight to your inbox. Spider mites may be a concern in dry conditions. Hummingbird Summersweet - Monrovia Feed these plants each spring with a balanced granular fertilizer mixed into the soil. I have clethra in sun here in Georgia and it does fine and flowers heavily. of the member-only content library. Once roots are establishedat least five weeks, but likely longeryou can bring your cuttings outside to plant in your garden. In early spring, fertilize your summersweet with a slow-release formula meant for trees and shrubs. The serrated, glossy, dark green foliage turns golden-yellow in fall. Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) is one garden plant that truly lives up to its name, producing an abundance of sweetly scented flowers during the waning days of summer, when few other shrubs are in bloom. The Latin name for summersweet is Clethra alnifolia. Fizzy Mizzy Sweetspire As low as $29.99 . 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. There could be several reasons why your Virginia sweetspire isn't blooming, and the first of those reasons is waternot nearly enough of it. Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant. Make sure there are other plants around, as the plant will look bare until the leaves appear at the end of spring. It prefers a slightly acidic pH but grows well in a range of soils. 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. Dig a hole that is at least twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. CareLike other summersweets, Sixteen Candles loves wet locations in partial shade but does fine in average garden soil in full sun. I want to put something , not to tall, around my cement patio. A sharp spade can be used to cut away a section of the root ball around the edge, which can be replanted wherever you want it. So, I'm only rating this plant as satisfactory. They were beautiful in the fall, changing to shades of red, and held their leaves for a while. To form solid hedges, space plants a distance equal to their mature width. Scentlandia - Sweetspire - Itea virginica | Proven Winners ), that might be the right one. Sugartina 'Crystalina' Buy now from Proven Winners. Time to give up on the scraggly sweetspire plants? Gardening - pennlive As noted by others it depends on your preferred features. Keep in a high-humidity area, and cover with plastic. Clethra - A Growing Guide for Summersweet Shrubs | Garden Design Has a compact habit similar to Hummingbird but with sturdier branches that hold the slender 6-inch flower spikes upright like candles rather than allowing them to flop over. A dwarf summersweet shrub with fragrant white flowers and a dense, rounded shape. 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. Will grow in shade, but flowering and fall color improves when the plant gets at least some sun each day. Also the facts that should be considered when making a choice:-itea could tolerate both, full sun and part-shade, while clethra prefer to be in a more shady locations,-fall foliage of itea is very attractive crimson-burgundy, while clethra's is yellow-bronze,-itea blooms on old wood and could be/should be pruned if necessary right after the bloom, clethra blooms on a new wood and could be/should be pruned in early spring,-itea leafs out early, while clethra stays 'naked' till May. bought five of them and the deer have said Thank You. Little Henry Sweetspire | Plant Addicts The foliage is a nice bright green in summer. Water these shrubs quite often when they are young and getting established, then weekly when they mature (one inch per week). Prune as needed to maintain the desired shape and remove dead, diseased, and damaged branches. 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. Sugartina 'Crystalina' Summersweet. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources. Sugartina 'Crystalina' summersweet(Clethra alnifolia)Photo by: Proven Winners. The leaves have been getting black spots, and now my tree-care company told me they noticed scale insects. Its natural environment includes wet and swampy areas of woodland as well as marshes and river banks. Foliage until first hard frost. Sign up for a free trial and get access to ALL our regional content, plus the rest Itea is one of the few shrubs that will still flower reasonably well even in shade. Propagate by cuttings. Wandering roots and stems can easily be chopped off and transplanted. They were dormant when I got them. There's no need for cold stratification to germinate. Merlot is named for its fall color which is dark red and persists into winter. Attracts butterflies. To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of our site. Itea needs little maintenance. 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 How To Plant, Fertilize, Prune & Water Clethra Summersweet Plants Summersweet (Sweet pepperbush): How to Grow and Care | Florgeous Flowers give way to dark brown seed capsules (1/8" diameter) which may persist into winter. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Remove lower leaves on the cuttings, dip the ends in rooting hormone, and tuck into a mixture of half perlite and half potting soil. Stay ahead of any root-suckering that may occur if you do not wish for the bushes to spread. It works well in a naturalized landscape or garden. All rights reserved (About Us). Ruby Spice grows to about 4 to 6 feet tall and almost as wide, making this shrub suitable for a bed or border, a woodland or shade garden, or a waterside planting. Summersweet spreads slowly by suckering roots and will colonize over time. Also may be naturalized in cottage gardens, wild gardens or naturalized areas. Tolerates clay soils. The first thing that occurs to me is that your plants are stressed in some way. Vanilla Spice summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)Photo by: Proven Winners.