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A. The beautiful, fragrant, and droopy white flowers of Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) maintain a flowering period from early spring to early summer. The flowers are borne on a raceme that is about 4 inches long and 0.5 inches wide and they attract butterflies. The plant can reach a height of 5-9 feet and a width of 6-10 feet. During the fall season, the leaves continue to provide color with red to reddish-purple foliage.
Virginia sweetspire is a Texas Native. It is a very adaptable and versatile shrub that grows well in moist and dry areas. While it will grow well in full sun or part shade, its flower production will be lowered under shady conditions. Virginia sweetspire performs well in our Texas Upper Gulf Coast landscapes in addition to providing aesthetic value and effective erosion control for moist areas.
The care of this shrub is relatively stress free. It tolerates a variety of soil types and some gardeners have found success by mulching their plants. Virginia sweetspire is relatively free from insect pests and diseases.
The only liability of this shrub is that it slowly spreads by underground stems, but the suckers can easily be removed to contain the plant’s desired shape and size. Suckers can also be utilized to start new plantings. You should regularly prune the thickets after bloom.