November’s Native Maryland Plant
Itea virginica L.
(eye-TEE-ah ver-JIN-ih-kah)
Common Name: Virginia Sweetspire
Most of Maryland’s native shrubs work hard during the seasons, many of them going almost unnoticed as they provide habitat, shade, and erosion control - and then there’s Itea virginica. There are few shrubs that provide such year-round interest as this adaptable native plant that is most commonly sold as a cultivar.
Itea’s leaves appear in early spring, followed by draping racemes of star-shaped flowers that bloom in June, attracting a diversity of pollinators. In fall the leaves turn a maroon or bright red that contrast well with the many fall yellows or evergreen plants in a landscape. Its flower heads dry on the shrub and persist through the fall and winter – continuing to provide textural interest. The attractive structure and the numerous height cultivars available make it suitable for a natural landscape or a more formal one.
In my garden I use Itea spp. as mulch along a dry riverbed, under a Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), and as a tall hedge in the back of a moist shady area - the more sun it’s provided the more brilliant the fall color. Its dense, spreading habit provides significant weed suppression and erosion control and it’s very low maintenance.
As you’re out enjoying the cooler weather and walks in your community, look for Virginia Sweetspire, it’s a staple garden plant for many good reasons. If you haven’t planted one yet, maybe now is the time!
~ Alison Milligan – Mstr. Gardener/Mstr. Naturalist/Mstr. Watershed Steward
Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)