Is sweetspire invasive?
The native Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) is often suggested as an alternative to burning bush (Euonymus alata), even though sweetspire can be invasive in the South. But your garden is near this plant’s northern limit, so it is unlikely to get away. One warning: sweetspire is aggressive.
What does sweetspire look like?
Virginia sweetspire is a deciduous shrub with arching stems and alternate simple leaves that are oval in shape and dark green in color. It has a long period of good autumn color with leaves that turn shades of red, orange, and gold.
Is sweetspire an evergreen?
Sweetspire is semi-evergreen, and colored leaves will remain until temperatures fall below 15 to 20 °F. ‘Henry’s Garnet’ Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) showing fall color.
Does Little Henry sweetspire spread?
Little Henry Virginia Sweetspire is a dense spreading deciduous shrub with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
Is Sweetspire native to PA?
Its adaptability, beauty, and high wildlife value make Sweetspire one of the most popular native shrubs out there.
What should I plant instead of butterfly bush?
Sweet Pepperbush
Native substitutes for Butterfly Bush For sunny, open garden or landscape plantings, try Sweet Pepperbush, also called Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) or Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica). For wetter soils, try Buttonbush (Cephalanthis occidentalis)—a food source for moths—or New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus).
Is Sweetspire native?
Virginia Sweetspire is a native deciduous to a semi-evergreen shrub that is found in the southeast USA on streambanks and wet pine barrens. It is found in most areas of NC. It can grow up to 8 feet tall and has graceful arching branches.
Do hummingbirds like Sweetspire?
With its white blossoms, Virginia Sweetspire might not look like a hummingbird magnet, but you can bet it is! Hummers love this bird-friendly native plant, making it the perfect addition to your Bird-Friendly Native Plants of the Year collection. Some are white like Sweetspire; some are purple or blue like Phlox.
How tall does Diablo ninebark grow?
8 to 10 feet
Diablo Ninebark Landscape Uses These shrubs can reach a mature height and width of 8 to 10 feet. They are perfect for a hedge or mass planting.
Are Nandinas invasive?
It’s always great to grow plants near a window, to enjoy the foliage and also screen out the hot sun…and an excellent plant to do just this is Japanese sacred bamboo, Nandina domestica. A good place to grow these plants is in a courtyard garden, where you want the look of bamboo but not its invasive root run.
Are Chokeberries red?
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N) Red chokeberry is a multi-stemmed shrub, 6-12 ft. tall, with four-season interest. In spring, flat-topped clusters of white, five-petaled flowers with red anthers are borne in profusion. They give way to dark green, glossy leaves that consistently turn a rich, orange-red in fall.
How tall does a sweetspire dwarf shrub get?
Sweetspire grows only one and a half to two feet high in zones five to nine. Many gardeners and butterflies love this dwarf shrub’s white flowers that bloom like fireworks in early summer. Besides the shape, the flowers are also very distinctive due to their lovely fragrance.
What kind of foliage does Itea sweetspire have?
The moderately growing Itea plant takes an erect form with arching branches. Although it is one of few shrubs that live in wet soil, the Itea bush is also drought tolerant. Attractive, reddish, autumn foliage makes the Itea sweetspire an excellent part of the fall display.
What kind of leaves does a Virginia sweetspire have?
Virginia sweetspire is a deciduous shrub with arching stems and alternate simple leaves that are oval in shape and dark green in color.
How tall does a Merlot Virginia sweetspire get?
‘Merlot’ Virginia sweetspire shrubs reach about 4 feet tall by 4 feet wide at maturity. A late spring or early summer bloomer, this bush produces wispy racemes (the drooping “spires” referred to in the plant’s common name) of small, white flowers on arching branches.