Conservation Specialist
copyright 2010
This is a cultivar of the Missouri native, Sweetspire. He is a hardy well rounded adaptable shrub that is native to many states. He is notable for his significant flower display and fragrant sweet honey-like scent. Itea is most impressive in the landscape when he reaches his mature height of 3-4' .
He has many pleasant features. His simple leaf shape and forest green foliage is naturally attractive even when there is the frequent seasonal extremes. The fact that his greenery remains clean and disease free, creates a perfect backdrop for his sweet, tickle my chin clusters of starry fragrant flowers in early summer as well as a perfect canvas to display Autumn’s full color palate. Itea ends the season with a strong finish in deep jewel tones of garnet, hence the name!
The bonus feature is the leaves remain intact till late fall –sometimes even early winter! This is much longer than many other deciduous shrubs, including burning bush! This particular cultivar selection I. ‘Henry’s Garnet’ is touted to have superior fall color than the straight species.
Itea is easy to grow in average soil and conditions. This includes medium to wet, well-drained soil. He grows best in full sun but is very adaptable to light shade conditions. Lower lighting may cause fall color to be slightly less intense or delayed . Flowering is impacted some with lower light levels and extremely dry conditions.
I. ‘Henry’s Garnet’ is a great hedge or transitional choice for a formal landscape that need to "relax a little" as it nears its perimeters. His multi-season casual good looks are also a plus when used as a foundation plant or featured shrub in easy care landscapes, woodland gardens or even green spaces that are focused on butterfly and habitating. Itea is especially nice at the edge of ponds or as the mainstay in rain garden designs.
Care factor Rating: 2 No deadheading is necessary after flowering unless personal preference. Reseeding is not an issue. Maintain moisture levels is necessary while establishing, but he is drought tolerant once well establish (flower and color are best when given adequate moisture) He does like to spread outward from his base, but he is controllable and well mannered when given boundaries.
This is a cane shrub that spreads by increasing from the crown / base by producing new shoots from the base annually. If his individual personality is to remain defined, once he is established, the basal area’s spread can be limited to the desired space in early spring.
Remove any excess shoots with a pruning saw and then cut around the base with a sharp shovel and remove any excess root and woody material. Replace-refill any hole area created with fresh soil to protect the exposed freshly cut roots. This activity will control the gradual but natural expansion of the primary clump. Maintaining base area spread for each individual shrub to a minimum of 2-3 feet wide will permit the individual shrub to remain visually balanced by keeping the height and width somewhat equal. If a continuous hedge desired- only limit the side borders.
Since the Itea’s tendency to colonize, consider establishing a few very choice well placed specimens as stock plants / parents and use the removed new growth as babies/ /pups for developing other areas in landscape ( or as nice give-a ways for friends)
Image curtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
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