Sweetshrub

The lovely and unexpected native Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) is a dense, rounded woody deciduous shrub with highly unusual saturated reddish-maroon blossoms and an aromatic fragrance that's unlike anything you've smelled before! Another common name is Carolina Allspice because you find them widely growing in those states. They are also known as the Hairy Allspice, which is in reference to the hairy twigs and leaf undersides of this plant. It is also called the Strawberry Bush because of the fragrant blooms carrying a scent best described as combining hints of pineapple, strawberry and banana! If you haven't picked up on the spice theme - they're aromatic top to bottom!

Featuring very fragrant, 2" reddish-burgundy to pinkish-maroon flowers that bloom in May and cover the shrub in vibrant color! Pollinators adore these blooms as much as you will! These flowers give way to brownish, urn-shaped seed capsules that mature in fall and are eaten by many bird species. Lustrous, dark green 6" long leaves have pale green undersides for a lovely two-tone effect in the breeze and are highly aromatic when rubbed or brushed against in the garden!

You'll love how they turn golden yellow in fall and highlight the seedpods! These heat-tolerant ornamental shrubs are hardy throughout USDA growing zones 5 through 10 and can reach 6-8 feet in height and 8-10 feet in width. These are a boon to wildlife in many ways! Known to attract Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Wrens, Sparrows, Thrushes, Orioles, Finches, Mockingbirds, Thrashers, Vireos, and even Hummingbirds! Not to mention a wide variety of pollinators!

Planting and Application:

Use as a specimen near the front door or an allée around your seating areas. Highlight the corner of your patio or other outdoor living areas so that the fragrant flower and leaf aroma can best be enjoyed. It is utilized in the mixed-shrub border, and is equally lovely included in a native row along the foundations of your home!

Suckering freely when allowed, Sweetshrubs form dense thickets and naturalize out-of-the-way areas and native planting displays. These groves provide privacy for you and cover, shade, roosting and nesting for birds and wildlife! Create your own woodland oasis or lush wildlife habitat in your own backyard! Sweetshrub blooms are lovely cut flowers, and the blooms, leaves, twigs and bark are often dried to use in potpourri! The dried bark is a substitute for cinnamon!

• Unique Reddish-Burgundy to Pinkish-Maroon Flowers in May
• Deep Green Foliage & Golden Fall Color
• Fragrant & Aromatic! Cut Flower & Potpourri
• Naturalizes By Suckers, Shelterbelts, Hedge, Groves & Privacy
• Native Food & Shelter Resource For Birds, Wildlife & Pollinators

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Sweetshrubs are easily grown in average, medium wet, well-drained soil in full to part sun. It grows somewhat taller in shade than in sun, and it is tolerant of a wide range of soils but prefers rich loam. Prune immediately after flowering to shape or maintain compactness. Remove root suckers promptly if naturalization is not desired. These natives are very pest free and easy to grow! They're also deer resistant and perfect to include in a fire-scaping landscape plan.

• Full Sun & Partial Shade
• Moist to Average Rich Soil
• Prune After Flowering
• Firescaping & Low-Maintenance Native Plantings
• Deer-Resistant, Pest & Disease Free

You and your backyard birds will adore the vibrant, unusual blossoms of this tough and hardy native shrub! Order your own fragrant Sweetshrub from NatureHills.com today so that everything living in your world can benefit from biodiverse native plantings and phenomenal out-of-this-world ornamental beauty!