General Culture:
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers rich, acidic loams. Avoid alkaline soils. Do not allow soils to dry out. May not be reliably winter hardy in the St. Louis area where it should be sited in a protected location.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
This Chinese native allspice is closely related to U. S. native Carolina allspice (see Calycanthus floridus – B820) and was formerly called Calycanthus chinensis. It is a dense, rounded deciduous shrub that grows 5-10’ tall with an equal or slightly greater spread. Camellia-like flowers (to 4” diameter) with blush-pink to white outer tepals, yellow inner tepals with maroon markings and a mounded ring of yellow stamens bloom near the shoot ends for a month or more in mid to late spring. Unlike Carolina allspice, its flowers have no fragrance. Glossy, medium green leaves (to 6” long) turn yellow in fall.
Problems:
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses:
Specimen or group in shrub borders or wild areas.
© Missouri Botanical
Garden, 2001-2009
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