Little Henry Sweetspire is a dwarf deciduous shrub that has long-lasting fall color. The shiny bright green oval leaves turn garnet-red and orange in fall and hold until early winter before being dropped. The tiny fragrant white flowers that blanket the shrub bloom on drooping cylindrical racemes in spring. Best fall color in full sun and rich moist well-drained soils.
Itea virginica is a host plant for the American Holly Azure butterfly if in the coastal plains, otherwise it acts as a food source for various bees and butterflies. Birds may eat the seeds.
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Type:
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Shrub
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Origins:
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Southeast N. America; GA Native
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Height:
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1.5' - 2'
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Spread:
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2’ - 2.5'
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Spacing:
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2’
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USDA Hardiness Zone:
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5 - 9
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Culture:
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Full Sun, Part Sun
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Bloom Color:
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White
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Season of Interest:
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Spring, Summer, Fall
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MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low Maintenance. Water regularly, then occasionally once established. No serious pests or diseases.
LANDSCAPE USES: Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Gardens, Naturalized Areas, Ponds and Streams, Foundational Plantings, and Containers.
COMPANION PLANTS: Weigela, Periwinkle, Spirea
IMAGES:, Photos by Proven Winners, Little Henry® Sweetspire, (2) Photo by David J. Stang, Itea virginica Little Henry 1zz, CC BY-SA 4.0
*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.
