Virginia Sweetspire

(Saxifragaceae - Saxifrage Family)

Form

• small- to medium-sized, deciduous to semi-evergreen ornamental shrub
• species form matures at 6' tall by 6' wide, but the primary cultivar is about half that size
• upright rounded growth habit
• slow growth rate except for the basal shoots of the species form, which have a medium to rapid growth rate

Culture

• full sun to full shade
• prefers moist, rich, slightly acidic soils in partial sun to partial shade, but is highly adaptable to neutral or alkaline pH soils, soils of average fertility, wet sites, or dry sites
• propagated primarily by rooted cuttings, but also by seed or byseparation of the root suckers
• Saxifrage Family (some sources list it under the Iteaceae or Escalloniaceae), with no serious disease or pest problems
• the species form is rarely available, but the cultivar 'Henry's Garnet' is commonly available in container form

Foliage

• species form has broadleaf foliage that is medium green, slowly deciduous to semi-evergreen to evergreen, depending upon hardiness zone of location; 'Henry's Garnet' is intensely burgandy-green and glossy, especially on the new growth
• leaves are alternate, oblong, and serrated
• fall color for the species is crimson-burgandy in full sun, and a mixture of green, yellow, orange, and scarlet in partial sun to full shade, while 'Henry's Garnet' is a deep and glossy burgandy under all light conditions
• coloring from early October through early December, with the predominate coloration occuring in November

Flowers

• white, 4" long by 0.5" wide fragrant inflorescences bloom from mid-June into early July, being held upright, horizontal, or curving and pendulous, and somewhat bottlebrush-like in appearance

Fruits

• small capsules on a fruiting stalk are green changing to brown, not showy but winter-persistent and a good identification feature

Twigs

• on the species form, young stems are light brown or green, while old stems are gray-brown and striated, with small buds
• on 'Henry's Garnet', the young stems are purplish red, slowly changing to shades of red, brown, and green as the stems mature

Trunk

• not applicable

ID Summary

• pendulous, fragrant, creamy-white early Summer flowers
• greenish or bronzed first-year arching stems
• outstanding late Autumn foliage color, either as mixed colors (species form) or solid burgandy ('Henry's Garnet'), or semi-evergreen in Southern climates
• horizontal to drooping persistent fruiting stalks, containing many small capsules with short Cranesbill-like projections

USAGE

Function

• foundation, specimen, border, group planting, or naturalizing shrub, effectively used in sunny to shady and/or dry to wet sites

Texture

• medium-fine texture in foliage and when bare
• thick density in foliage and when bare

Assets

• attractive and fragrant white inflorescences at the branch tips in early to mid-Summer
• hightly adaptable to various sun or shade conditions, dry to moist to wet sites, and soils of various quality and pH
• brilliant scarlet or mixed color fall foliage
• the species form will develop colonies and easily naturalizes, exhibiting erosion control in wet or sloped sites by basal suckering (if this is desired)

Liabilities

• the species form will spread beyond its originally intended space by peripheral suckers, creating a tangled colony of erect and arching stems

Habitat

• zones 5 to 9
• native to the Southern United States

SELECTIONS

Alternates

• shrubs with fragrant flowers (Clethra alnifolia, Hamamelis vernalis or Hamamelis x intermedia cultivars,Philadelphus species, Syringa species and cultivars, etc.) or those flowering in Summer (Clethra alnifolia, Heptacodium miconioides, Hibiscus syriacus, Hydrangea species, Hypericum species, Philadelphus species, etc.)
• shrubs with prolonged and vibrant fall color (Euonymus alata, Fothergilla gardenii, Hamamelis x 'Arnold Promise', Hydrangea quercifolia, Spiraea x bumalda 'Gold Flame', Viburnum 'Mariesii', etc.)
• shrubs that perform well in full sun to partial shade conditions (Calycanthus floridus, Fothergilla gardenii, Hydrangea species, Kerria japonica, Lonicera species, Rhodotypos scandens, Viburnum prunifolium, etc.)
• shrubs tolerant of dry, continuously moist, or wet sites (Cornus alba, racemosa, sanguinea, or sericea, Hydrangea quercifolia, Salix purpurea, etc.)
• shrubs that prefer acidic soils that can adapt well to neutral or alkaline pH soils (Amelanchier species, Clethra alnifolia, Fothergilla gardenii, etc.)
• broadleaf shrubs that are semi-evergreen to evergreen in warm Winter climates (Abelia species, Kalmia species, Leucothoe species, Ligustrum species, Nandina domestica, Pieris species, Rhododendron species and cultivars, etc.)

Variants

• Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet' - practically the only form now commercially available, a small spreading shrub of rapidly increasing popularity noted for its compact growth habit (to 3' tall by 4' wide), reddish-purple first-year and slightly zig-zag basal stems that often do not branch, lustrous and slightly larger bronzed to dark green foliage, showier white pendulous inflorescences from 3" to 6" long, and vibrant burgandy-purple to garnet shiny fall color that develops in late October, peaks throughout November, and extends into early December, slowly abscising in Northern climates but semi-evergreen in Southern climates

NOTES

Translation

• Itea is the Greek name for "willow", which the stems and leaves vaguely resemble.
• virginica translates "of Virginia".

Purpose

• Virginia Sweetspire is an early to mid-Summer fragrant- and white-flowering shrub that is also noted for its vibrant and extended fall color, primarily found as the compact cultivar 'Henry's Garnet'.

Summary

• Itea virginica is a species known as a tough shrub with fragrant white mid-Summer inflorescences that have a narrow bottlebrush appearance, scarlet or mixed fall color, suckering and naturalizing habit, and wet or dry site tolerance; its popular cultivar 'Henry's Garnet' is a compact form that is superior in all traits, but especially in its foliage and flowers.