Sweet Spire Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet'
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- eye-TEE-uh vir-JIN-ih-kuh
- Description
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'Henry's Garnet', or Virginia Sweetspire, is a cultivar of Itea virginica. It is an attractive, decidous to semi-evergreen shrub with showy fragrant flowers and good fall leaf color, showing the fall colors up to the beginning of winter. This plant can be used in many places in the garden including around a pond since it does not mind wet soil as long as the soil is well-drained. The parent species, I. virginica, is rarely sold commercially, but this cultivar 'Henry's Garnet' can be easier to find. In addition, 'Henry's Garnet' has larger flowers and better fall color than the parent species 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.
'Henry's Garnet' prefers full sun to partial shade, but it can also grow in shade. It does well in moist, slightly acidic humusy soils, but tolerates a wide range of soil conditions and pHs. Best flowering occurs with 4 hours of sun per day. It can form dense colonies by root suckering and can be used for erosion control in wet areas or on wet banks. This plant blooms on previous season's wood, so pruning should be done after flowering.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:
Avoid over-fertilization. Resistant to Phytophthora root rot.
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Small Water Features Woodland Backyard Garden Walk
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Itea
- Species:
- virginica
- Family:
- Iteaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators. Seeds are eaten by songbirds.
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Edible fruit
- Fragrance
- Textural
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Resistant to erosion, wet soil, clay soil, heavy shade, many soil types, insect pests, diseases.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Erect
- Rounded
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Good Dried
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Woody capsules arranged in racemes, showy in the fall. Fruits are slim, pubescent, have tiny seeds, are 1/3" long, and are persistent into the following year. Displays from August to October.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 3-6 inches
- Flower Description:
- Flowers bloom in spring and summer (around May to June). Each raceme is about 3 to 6 inches. The flowers open from base to tip and are borne on previous season's growth.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Smooth
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are generally 1 to 4 inches long and turn varying shades of red, orange and gold in autumn often persisting on the plants until early winter. Leaves have an acute apex and cuneate base, have a finely serrated margin, are glabrous above and can be slightly pubescent below. Pubescent petiole up to 1/4" long with a groove on the upper side.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Buds:
- Scaly
- Stem Leaf Scar Shape:
- C-shaped, Cresent shaped
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Stems have a medium thickness, are green to reddish-purple in color on sun side, are glabrous, and have crescent-shaped leaf scars. Buds are superposed, imbricate, and reddish-green on short branches.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Pond
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Rain Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Diseases
- Erosion
- Heavy Shade
- Insect Pests
- Wet Soil
- Problems:
- Weedy
