Habitat

• native along the entire eastern United States
• most commonly founded in moist woodlands, especially near water
• zone 4

Habit and Form

• an upright deciduous shrub
• 5' to 8' tall and 4' to 6' wide
• multistemmed and suckering; can form colonies
• sometimes with little foliage at the base of plants in shady locations
• dense foliage in exposed locations
• rounded to oval shape

Summer Foliage

• alternate, deciduous leaves
• 1.5" to 4" long and 1" to 2" wide
• obovate shape with acute to accuminate tip
• serrate leaf margins
• green to dark green color
• late to leaf out in spring

Autumn Foliage

• yellow-green to golden brown
• can be showy at times

Flowers

• numerous, small white flowers held in racemes.
• racemes are 3" to 5" long and 0.75" wide
• nicely fragrant
• blooms in July and August
• blooms on current seasons growth
• showy

Fruit

• small capsules
• turn brown in fall and persist for a year or two

Bark

• brown on newer stems
• gray brown on older stems

Culture

• prefers moist, acidic soil with organic matter
• transplant from container or B&B
• may be slow to establish and some twig tip dieback may occur during the first winter.
• relatively easy to grow
• full sun to partial shade
• avoid hot, dry sites

Landscape Use

• screen
• specimen perhaps
• in groupings
• shrub border
• colonizing nature can be useful
• highly useful for late summer fragrant flowers
• site the plant so fragrance can be appreciated
• tolerant of ocean-side plantings
• naturalistic/native landscapes

Liabilities

• relatively pest free except for spider mites
• spider mites can be severe on plants in hot, dry locations

ID Features

• fragrant spires of white flowers in mid to late summer
• persistent fruit capsules
• obovate, alternate, deciduous leaves with serrations
• suckering, colonial type growth

Propagation

• by seed
• easily rooted by summer cuttings
• division of suckers

Cultivars/Varieties

'Anne Bidwell' - Produces flowers that are larger than the species, also perhaps later. More compact, to 6' tall.

'Creels Calico' - The foliage of this selection is marked with variable creamy white variegation. The flowers are white, and the plant will probably mature at 4' tall. It's a rather interesting form.

'Hummingbird' - Perhaps the most popular commercial selection. Selected by Callaway Gardens for its compact growth, heavy flowering and shiny foliage. The plant matures at 3'-4' tall and has good fall color. Reports indicate good performance across a wide geographical range.

'Paniculata' - Purported to have large panicles of flowers, but the plant may be misnamed and not reliable in this floral performance.

'Pink Spires' - Buds are rose-colored and open to light pink. Flowers do not fade, and the plant grows to 8' tall.

'Rosea' - Pink flower buds open pink, but then fade to nearly white. An older cultivar.

'Ruby Spice' - The darkest pink selection. Red buds open to pink and do not fade. Dark green, glossy foliage. Selected by Andy Brand at Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden, CT. This award-winning plant has been embraced by the nursery industry and is very common.

'September Beauty' - A new form that is reported to flower up to two weeks later than the species. Growth is more compact and the foliage is a good green.