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Itea virginica L. Virginia Sweetspire

Other Common Names: Sweet-Spine, Sweetspire, Tassel-White, Virginia Tea, Virginia Willow. Family: Saxifragaceae (variously segregated by one authority or another into the Escalloniaceae, Iteaceae, or Grossulariaceae); the familial classification of this species is very confused. Cold Hardiness: Virgininia Sweetspire is hardy as a species in USDA zones 5(4) to 9, although individual plant hardiness varies by cultivar. Foliage: Simple; tardily deciduous, unless early defoliation occurs due to drought; alternate; obovate- elliptic; 2O to 4O long by ½O to 1¼O wide; tips acute to short acuminate; bases acute to nearly rounded; margins finely serrate; veins pinnate, arching forward and following edge the near the margins; veins impressed above and raised beneath; glabrous; light to dark green, sometimes flushed red, in summer, developing yellow, orange, or red fall colors in good years; fall colors develop better in cooler climates; petioles short, cO to ¼O long, green, often flushed red. Flower: Terminal 2O to 6O long tassel-like racemes of small ¼O long five-petal white bell-shaped slightly fragrant flowers appear in mid-spring in warmer climates to early summer in cooler regions; flowers can be very showy when present en masse. Fruit: Small capsules in nodding racemes; capsules ¼O to dO long containing very tiny seeds; persistent, but not particularly ornamental. Stem / Bark: Stems — green, then red, eventually gray-brown; minutely downy, becoming glabrous; moderately thin, often nodding at the tips and tending to be rather wandering in form, sometimes 1 described as wand-like; pith white and excavated; Buds — imbricate; tiny, /16O to cO long; green to tan; may be superposed when flower buds are present; Bark — mature bark smooth gray brown to brown, exfoliating with age. Habit: Individual stems are erect, then nodding, tending to branch near the ends of the stems; stems sucker from short underground rhizomes, eventually growing 3N to 8N tall and continuing to slowly spread as the plant ages; many of the available cultivars are selected from the lower growing forms; shrubs are medium in overall texture. Cultural Requirements: Virginia Sweetspire requires a moist site and can tolerate less than perfect drainage, but does not handle extended drought well; shrubs grow best on rich moist acidic soils, but will tolerate neutral pH; full sun is acceptable with adequate moisture, but this species benefits from afternoon shade in much of our region; soil quality and available moisture become more critical the further south and west one cultivates the plant; prune plants immediately after flowering as flowers are borne from overwintering buds. Pathological Problems: Defoliation and marginal necrosis can be a problem on dry sites; few disease or pest problems are serious, although a leafspot caused by fungi in the genus Phyllosticta and foliar feeding from chewing insects can be periodic problems. Ornamental Assets: Assets include a nice spreading irregular mound-like growth habit, handsome summer and fall foliage, and of course showy fragrant flowers. Limitations & Liabilities: Drought tolerance and high pH soil tolerance is limited; this species performs much better in the eastern portions of our region; in stressful sites, foliage tends to look worn by season’s end. Landscape Utilization: Where adapted plants are can be effective for large scale massing, foundation plantings and general purpose uses for small and medium size shrubs; in our region, plants will benefit from siting where they will receive at least afternoon shade; winter forms are less appealing than in summer as plants are deciduous, so avoid using them where they screen winter views; Itea virginica could be useful in moist to wet problem areas and works well where growth conditions permit naturalizing. Other Comments: I have come to appreciate the beauty of this species were it can be grown successfully, unfortunately it is often offered in portions of our region where it is marginally adapted; the genus name is the ancient Greek name for a willow (plants usually classified in the genus Salix); the specific epithet honors the state of Virginia. Native Habitat: Native to moist swampy areas and stream banks in the Eastern U.S., its range extending as far west as East Texas. Related Taxa: Itea virginica is the lone North American member of this genus, but several other species are native to Asia and may also prove useful in regional landscapes. References: Dirr, 1998; Foote and Jones, 1989; Grimm, 1993; Odenwald and Turner, 1996; Vines, 1960.