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A native throughout much of southern North America , Itea virginica ( eye - TEE - ah , ver - JIN - ih - kah ) owes much of its succeeder to the wide USDA hardiness zone range it tolerates .
It belong to the Iteaceae ( formerly saxifragaceae ) menage and is known as tassel - white , Virginia sweetspire , and Virginia willow tree ; with Henry ’s garnet and little Henry being two of the most pop cultivars .
When purchasing from a nursery , little Henry will be the most uncouth name to find it under .
The works is characterized by its graciously arching reddened to imperial - stemmed branches , small lily-white to cream flowers , and long - lasting autumnal colouring material last well into wintertime .
It attracts both birds and butterflies , has eatable seeds , and tends to be very low - maintenance , making this an excellent aboriginal works choice for gardens across the United States .
In late summertime , the foliage color changes from obscure super C to vibrant orangeness and reds .
When get in partial shade , the fall foliage will last well into winter .
Itea Virginica Sweetspire Care
Size & Growth
This deciduous to semi - evergreen flowering shrub grows up to 8 ’ foot tall and has a foliage bedspread of up to 6 ’ ft in the right conditions .
Under normal conditions , this shrub with green farewell has a intermediate growth charge per unit , although the amount of sunlight and photograph meter may be modify to achieve the desired amount of ontogeny .
This also goes for soil caliber and moisture .
Flowering and Fragrance
In previous spring to early summertime , 4 ” inch raceme of efflorescence form .
The inflorescence tends to have a retentive bloom time , as the tiny star - shape white heyday bloom from the infrastructure to the tip .
The fragrant flowers have a frail scent attracting a spacious grasp of insects and songbirds .
Light & Temperature
Virginia willow prefers fond shade or dappled sun .
However , ensuring it gets about four hour of full sun will result in more vibrant dip coloring and better blooms .
It may also be adapted to full ghost .
This flora is able to treat rich temperature drops as scummy as 5 ° degrees Fahrenheit ( -15 ° degree Celsius ) , giving it a range of USDA hardiness zone 5a through 9b .
Watering and Feeding
While the ideal conditions are crocked soil with ripe drainage , Virginia Sweetspire can survive frequent standing water .
It requires periodic watering during droughts .
Despite being able to grow in clay grime , the shrub needs humus - rich grime for sizable growth .
You mayuse a balanced fertilizerfor offsetting less - than - ideal conditions in the planting domain .
Soil & Transplanting
Itea Virginica ‘ Henry ’s garnet ’ favour slightly acidulous soil with plenty of hummus but will grow in a much wider range of soil weather including clay , loamy , and sandy soil types .
A territory pH of 6.8 or less is best .
As this is a suckering works , the easy elbow room to graft is to excavate up individual pups in early spring and relocate them .
This will produce clones of the parent plant life but is a feasible alternative to propagation .
Potted plants should be transplanted after the first year for optimum emergence .
It should be observe this plant tends to be rather scraggly on its own , but transplanting somebody stems closer together cook full shrub borders .
Grooming and Maintenance
Pruning should be performed after bloom . In colder climates , some minor damage may occur during wintertime .
Be certain to prune off any bushed branch after melt to ascertain healthy growth .
When grown in moist , humus grease , this plant needs very slight maintenance .
Be sure to water occasionally during drought condition .
How To Propagate Virginia Sweetspire
Tassel - bloodless is relatively easy to propagate from seeds collected in late summer to former twilight .
As this is a suckering flora , it also may be grown from semi - hardwood cuttings garner at the same time as seeds .
To glean and spud from seed :
For the best growth , keep new plants in a container for the first class before transplanting .
You will have intercourse when they are quick once the root begin growing up or down the Mary Jane .
To grow from trimmings , select the top of a sizable fore once spring growth has concluded .
idealistic stems are flexible at the tip , but firm and woody by the groundwork and no flowers .
trot approximately 6 ” inches from the tip , strip off any leaves from the bottom half with a sharp knife .
Dip the base into apowdered root hormoneand industrial plant 3″ to 4 ” column inch deep in an adequate mix of peat , perlite , and sand .
Mist the leaves twice per day until the new roots are established , then keep the soil moist until the plant is well - established and ready to graft open .
Virginia Willow Pest or Disease Problems
Itea Virginica is a hardy coinage , resistant to most pests .
Deer tend to leave it alone .
Be warned , it attracts cross-pollinate louse , so it may not be an appropriate choice for those with bee allergies .
Suggested Itea Virginica Sweetspire Uses
Due to its thick root social system , Virginia Sweetspire is an excellent choice for erosion control .
Its showy flower , fragrancy , and ability to attract pollinators make it a valuable choice for most gardens .
Its comestible seed attract songbirds while the racemes create a staring environment for butterfly stroke .
Woodland gardens provide the most ideal arise condition , as the higher surrounding foliation offer part shade to dappled sunlight as well as plenty of hoummos .
The bloodless prime color create an attractive contrast to the green and browns of this setting .
Another advantage of this deciduous shrub is the prospicient blooming period and high adaptability .
The mate erosion command and ability to get in standing water make this a perfect choice for areas prone to flood .
Meanwhile , it ’s also fire - resistive , making it a plant eccentric that can survive just about every disaster your garden might suffer .
