Virginia Sweetspire

Itea virginica

Virginia sweetspire is the straight species behind the popular 'Henry's Garnet' and 'Little Henry' cultivars. naturally variable in height and spread, with the same fragrant white flower spikes in June and July that make it a standout in the summer garden. The individual blooms are tiny but the racemes are long and drooping, carrying a sweet fragrance that's noticeable from several feet away on still mornings. Native bees absolutely cover the flowers. It grows naturally along stream banks, wetland margins, and swamp edges in the eastern coastal plain. which tells you where it's happiest. It spreads by suckering to form colonies over time, which is part of its character in naturalized settings. In a wet meadow, rain garden edge, or along a low-lying border, it fills in over years into a genuinely beautiful, self-sustaining planting. Fall color is reliably orange to red and holds well.