General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Wet
Wet Mesic
Mesic
Soil pH Preferences: Strongly acid (5.1 – 5.5)
Moderately acid (5.6 – 6.0)
Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 5a -28.9 °C (-20 °F) to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 9b
Plant Height: 5-6 feet
Plant Spread: 5-6 feet
Leaves: Good fall color
Deciduous
Other: 1 to 4 inches long
Flowers: Showy
Fragrant
Flower Color: White
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer
Summer
Suitable Locations: Bog gardening
Uses: Provides winter interest
Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Rabbit Resistant
Flood Resistant
Drought tolerant
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Stem
Other: Root suckering
Pollinators: Wasps
Moths and Butterflies
Bumblebees
Bees
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil
Monoecious

Image
Common names
  • Virginia Sweetspire
  • Gooseberry
  • Itea

Photo Gallery
Location: KALAMA WA
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Kalama, Wa.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: IL
Date: 2010-10-29
Location: Tennessee
photo courtesy of Sunlight Gardens, www.sunlightgardens.com
Location: Elberfeld, Indiana
Date: 2015-05-30
Location: Kalama, Wa.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: St Louis
Date: 2012-05-05
Uploaded by treehugger
Location: IL
Date: 2014-06-18
Location: IDEA Garden, Tyler, Texas
Date: 2014-05-03
Location: National Botanical Garden, DC, Virginia :) | May, 2022
Date: 2022-05-28
Location: National Botanical Garden, DC, Virginia :) | May, 2022
Date: 2022-05-28

Photo courtesy of Joy Creek Nursery
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Nursery.
Date: 2011-0623
Location: western Chester County, PA
Date: 2014-09-23
starting red fall color of large plants in foundation
Location: Elberfeld, Indiana
Date: 2015-05-30
Location: Elberfeld, Indiana
Date: 2015-05-30
Location: Elberfeld, Indiana
Date: 2015-05-30
Location: IL
Date: 2014-06-18

Courtesy American Daylily and Perennials
  • Uploaded by vic
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Date: 2018-06-16
full-grown specimen in bloom in yard
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Date: 2018-06-16
another shot of full-grown specimen
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2011-06-06
long, hanging flower clusters
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Date: 2014-10-26
red fall color on mature specimen
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2010-10-11
red fall color of foliage
Location: KALAMA WA
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: KALAMA WA
  • Uploaded by Joy
Comments:
  • Posted by molanic (IL - Zone 5b) on Feb 6, 2017 10:22 AM concerning plant:
    Mine has still not gotten over two feet tall after many years. I have read it may have a preference for very moist but well drained acidic soil and mine is more alkaline with a clay base. Perhaps that stunts the growth a bit. I used to have it in a fairly dry area, but have moved it to the edge of a rain garden in full sun which made it fill out a little more. It also regularly has some die-back after winter that I prune off, but I am in zone 5... which is the coldest it can handle apparently.
  • Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Jul 14, 2018 1:26 PM concerning plant:
    This is the most commonly sold cultivar of the species, and it is available at many conventional nurseries in the East & Midwest of the US. It was selected at Swarthmore College not far west of Philadelphia, PA. It was chosen for its excellent red fall color and longer flower raceme clusters than what the mother species usually does. It likes moist or draining wet acid soil best and the pH can go up to about 7.0.

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