Virginia Sweetspire
Itea virginica
Fragrant white flower spikes in June and July that native bees cover, then reliable orange to red fall color. Fills wet spots into a lasting colony.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The native shrub that thrives where it's wet, fragrant in summer, orange-red in fall, and never needs anything from you.
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.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown virginia sweetspire propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant virginia sweetspire instead of Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica) in wet borders and stream banks. Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 3–8 ft · 4–8 ft wide
- Bloom time
- June–July
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Family
- Iteaceae
- Native range
- Eastern United States from New Jersey to Florida along stream banks, wet woods, and swamp edges
Care notes for virginia sweetspire.
Moist to wet, acidic soil in full sun to full shade. Extremely adaptable across a wide range of conditions once established. Spreads by suckers to form colonies; allow or remove as needed. Thin oldest canes to the ground in late winter to keep growth vigorous. No fertilization needed. One of the easiest and most rewarding native shrubs for difficult wet sites.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside virginia sweetspire.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.