'Henry's Garnet', an attractive shrub with showy fragrant flowers and fall leaf coloring, is a cultivar of Virginia sweetspire from the sweetspire family (Iteaceae). 'Henry's Garnet' prefers full sun to partial shade, but it can also grow in shade. While adaptable to shade, best flowering and fall coloring occur with four or more hours of sun per day. It does well in moist, slightly acidic medium to well-drained soil but tolerates a wide range of soil conditions. It can form dense colonies by root suckering; thus, it can be used for erosion control in wet areas or on wet banks but can also be problematic if left unchecked. This plant blooms on previous season's wood, so pruning should be done after flowering. This attractive pollinator-friendly shrub with its showy fragrant flowers and orange/ burgundy red fall leaf color was designated a Plant of Merit of the Missouri Botanical Garden in 2000. 'Henry's Garnet' has larger flowers and better fall color than the wild-type species. It blooms from April through June with its prominent fall colors lasting until winter. It serves as a food source and natural cover to small wildlife. It can be used in wet areas since it does not mind wet soil as long as the soil is well-drained. Over-fertilization should be avoided. This versatile plant can be used in many places in the garden, around ponds, in naturalized areas and rain gardens. It serves well as a foundation plant, in borders, in mass plantings in woodland and naturalized areas. It grows well along rivers and ponds and can be a welcome addition to any winter garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Resistant to phytophthora root rot. More information on Itea virginica .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Erect; Rounded; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous; Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf value
Long-lasting; Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves are generally 1 to 4 inches long and turn varying shades of red, orange and gold in autumn often persisting on the plants until early winter. Leaves have an acute apex and cuneate base, have a finely serrated margin, are glabrous above and can be slightly pubescent below. Pubescent petiole up to 1/4" long with a groove on the upper side.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Flowers bloom in spring and summer (around May to June). Each raceme is about 3 to 6 inches. The flowers open from base to tip and are borne on previous season's growth.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit value
Edible; Good Dried; Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Woody capsules arranged in racemes, showy in the fall. Fruits are slim, pubescent, have tiny seeds, are 1/3" long, and are persistent into the following year. Displays from August to October.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Stems have a medium thickness, are green to reddish-purple in color on sun side, are glabrous, and have crescent-shaped leaf scars. Buds are superposed, imbricate, and reddish-green on short branches.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators. Seeds are eaten by songbirds.