Itea virginica 'Sprich' LITTLE HENRY

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Itea virginica 'Sprich' LITTLE HENRY

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Kemper Code: X340

Common Name: Virginia sweetspire
Zone: 5 to 9
Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
Family: Grossulariaceae
Missouri Native: No
Native Range: None
Height: 1.5 to 2 feet
Spread: 2 to 2.5 feet
Bloom Time: June - July Bloom Data
Bloom Color: White
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Low

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Plant Culture and Characteristics

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Uses:		Wildlife:	Flowers:	Leaves:	Fruit:
Hedge	Suitable as annual	Attracts birds	Has showy flowers	Leaves colorful	Has showy fruit
Shade tree	Culinary herb	Attracts	Has fragrant flowers	Leaves fragrant	Fruit edible
Street tree	Vegetable	hummingbirds	Flowers not showy	Good fall color	Other:
Flowering tree	Water garden plant	Attracts	Good cut flower	Evergreen	Winter interest
Gr. cover (<1')	Will naturalize	butterflies	Good dried flower		Thorns or spines

General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium to wet soil in full sun to part shade. Adaptable to shade. Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, but prefers moist, humusy soils. Promptly remove root suckers to prevent any unwanted spread.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

This Virginia sweetspire cultivar is an extremely compact, rounded, deciduous shrub which typically grows to 2' tall with a slightly larger spread. Features fragrant, tiny white flowers borne in cylindrical racemes (3-4" long) which cover the shrub with bloom in late spring to early summer. Oval, dark green leaves (1-3" long) turn attractive shades of orange, red and purple in fall, often persisting on the shrub until December. LITTLE HENRY is a dwarf version of the Missouri native species (see K720), with superior flowers and better fall color than the species.

Problems:

No serious insect or disease problems.

Uses:

A versatile shrub for sun and shade. Specimen, group or mass. Shrub borders, open woodland gardens, foundations or hedges. Mass for a shrubby ground cover effect. Naturalizes well in wild or informal areas. Also a good selection for wet locations such as low spots or pond/stream margins.

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