Virginia sweetspire

Virginia sweetspire: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Loose, arching shrub about 1–1.5 m high and wide, with slender stems; it suckers.

Leaves

Elliptic to oval, 4–10 cm long, finely toothed; fresh green in summer and red, orange or purple in autumn.

Flowers

Narrow, drooping tails 5–15 cm long of small white flowers, in June and July.

Scent

The flowers have a light, sweet scent, especially on warm days.

Roots

Forms underground suckers, so the shrub slowly becomes a clump.

Flowering: June–July · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: July

Why grow it?

• Scented white flower tails 5–15 cm long in June–July, attractive to bees and other insects.
• Spectacular autumn colour in red, orange and purple.
• Grows well in wet or moist soil, for example beside a pond or in a low corner of the garden.
• Fully hardy and easy: few diseases and little maintenance.
• Over time it forms a dense clump, handy as a ground-covering shrub or a low, informal hedge.

Virginia sweetspire: where does it grow best?

• Sun to shade; in sun or partial shade it flowers best and gives the finest autumn colour.
• Humus-rich, moist to wet soil: sand, loam or peaty soil, acid to neutral.
• Tolerates wet feet, but if it dries out completely in summer the leaf edges turn brown and flowering suffers.
• Allow about 1–1.5 m of space per plant; as a low hedge, plant at 80–100 cm.

Light

Sun, partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or peat

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

1.5 m tall, 1.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Astilbe: Pink and white plumes on the same moist soil.
• Hosta: Large leaves at the base, even in partial shade.
• Ferns: Fresh, green underplanting next to the red autumn colours.
• Dogwood: The red or yellow stems in winter fill the garden when the sweetspire is bare.

Virginia sweetspire: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or in October–November, when the soil is not frozen.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in compost, especially on poor sandy soil.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot and firm the soil well.
4. Water thoroughly straight away and keep the soil moist in the first year.
5. Spread a layer of leaf mould or bark mulch around the plant to keep the soil moist.

Care

Water

In the first year, water weekly in dry weather. After that only in long dry spells, unless it is planted in a dry spot.

Feeding

In spring, compost or organic fertiliser for flowering shrubs.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould in spring keeps the soil moist and cool.

Suckers

Dig out unwanted suckers with a spade in spring or autumn so the shrub stays where it is.

Renewal

Remove a few of the oldest stems at the base every couple of years to keep it flowering.

Tip: Put it in a moist spot and let it get on with it: the wetter the soil, the better it flowers and the brighter the autumn colour.

Virginia sweetspire: when to prune it?

Pruning months: July.

When: Straight after flowering, in July. In spring you can remove dead or frozen stems.

How:

• Cut a few of the oldest stems off at the base to renew the shrub.
• Remove dead, weak or crossing stems.
• Shorten overly long, drooping stems after flowering to keep the shape.
• Dig out suckers that stray too far with a spade.

Caution: Do not prune in winter or spring: it flowers on last year’s stems, so you would cut off the flower buds.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Dividing suckers

In spring or autumn, dig up a sucker with roots and plant it elsewhere. This is the simplest method.

Softwood cuttings

In June–July: take 8–10 cm cuttings from young shoots, remove the lower leaves and insert them in moist compost under plastic. They start rooting after a few weeks.

Virginia sweetspire: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgian winters.
• In mild winters some of the leaves may stay on the shrub; it is normal for them to drop in winter.
• In a pot: place it in a sheltered spot and do not let the compost dry out completely.

Diseases and pests

• Yellow leaves (chlorosis): Yellow leaves with green veins on soil that is too chalky. Mix acidic leaf mould into the soil and, if needed, choose another spot.
• Drought: Brown leaf edges and few flowers when the soil dries out. Mulch the soil and water generously in dry summers.
• Spreading: The shrub spreads by suckers. Dig them out every year with a spade.
• Aphids: On young shoots in spring. Ladybirds usually clear them up; otherwise spray them off with water.

Through the year

• March: Plant or move. Give compost or fertiliser.
• April: Plant. Apply mulch.
• May: Water in dry weather. Watch for aphids.
• June: Flowering begins with scented white tails. Take softwood cuttings.
• July: Flowering. After flowering, prune out a few old stems.
• August: Water in dry weather. Dig out suckers.
• October: Autumn colour in red and orange. Plant.
• November: Plant. Leaves fall; leave them as mulch.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Itea virginica is the only species of its genus that grows naturally in North America; most other species come from Asia.
• ‘Henry’s Garnet’ is a well-known cultivar with an especially rich, deep red autumn colour.
• In the wild the plant grows in swampy woods and along streams, which is why it tolerates wet soil.