Plant field guide
Sweetspire (Henry's Garnet)
Native deciduous shrub with drooping racemes of fragrant white flowers and spectacular garnet-red fall color that persists well into winter. Adaptable and trouble-free.
Growing requirements
- Scientific name
- Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet'
- Sun
- partial shade
- Water
- moderate
- Height
- 36 in (91 cm) – 60 in (152 cm)
- Spread
- 36 in (91 cm) – 72 in (183 cm)
- Spacing
- 48 in (122 cm)
- Hardiness zones & minimum temperature
- USDA 5–9; average annual extreme minimum from -20°F (-28.9°C). Hardiness does not predict local frost dates.
- Difficulty
- easy
Planting & seasonal timing
Northern Hemisphere planting months: not yet verified in our database.
Northern Hemisphere pruning months: July, August.
For the Southern Hemisphere, these seasonal windows shift approximately six months. Check your local frost forecast, soil temperature, and species requirements; calendar months are not a guarantee of planting safety.
Tolerates wet sites better than most shrubs. Suckering habit creates nice colonies. Semi-evergreen in mild winters. Excellent fall color.
Pruning
Prune after flowering. Remove oldest stems at ground level to rejuvenate.
Fertilizer
Balanced organic fertilizer
Early spring
Mulch
2-3 inches of organic mulch.