Unless your children have known bee allergies I wouldn't be concerned. Unless you know your children have an allergy to bee stings let them get stung once and then they will be more careful where they tread. I love to see the bees. They also suggested as an option pulling the plants and starting over again. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The Scentlandia Sweetspire is a very versatile plant and one of the most fragrant sweetspire out there! It's a good lesson for them to learn. Some people would recommend using a fungicide to combat the leaf disease and horticultural oil or a similar scale-killing insecticide to deal with the bugs. Little Henry blooms in late spring here (zone 7), so I consider it a nice green backdrop during the summer. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Stressed plants are more likely to run into bug and disease problems than "happy" ones in soils, sites and weather they prefer. Monrovia's Henry's Garnet Sweetspire details and information. Full sun brings out the most intense fall color; combine it with other sun-loving shrubs and grasses to draw attention to this attribute. Companion plants. Little Henry Sweetspire. It can form dense colonies by root suckering and can be used for erosion control in wet areas or on wet banks. To me the fall color is its top feature, so be sure to plant this where you can enjoy it at that time of year. We are just concerned that with young children who create lots of spills, attracting bees may not be somewhat we want. Best flowering occurs with 4 hours of sun per day. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. We are thinking of planting Little Henry's along our new deck, but are concerned about them attracting bees. Then I'd look for an afternoon-shade location and transplant the stubby remnants and roots there. Great Design Plant: 'Little Henry' Sweetspire Small in stature but big on impact, this fuss-free shrub promises spring flowers, fiery fall color and good manners in the garden. Itea virginica 'Little Henry' has the potential to elicit both close-at-hand study as well pleasing "walking by" glances every day of the year. It has average water needs. We do not currently have companion plants added for this plant. Itea virginica Little Henry® (Virginia Sweetspire) is a small, compact, deciduous shrub boasting bottlebrush spikes of lightly fragrant, creamy-white flowers in late spring to early summer. Genus: Itea. 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Known to bloom in late spring to early summer. Finally, give the plants a good soaking and try to keep them damp throughout at least this first summer. It prefers moist soils and will tolerate wet conditions. (Sweetspire) LITTLE HENRY® Itea is a versatile, compact shrub that offers multi-season appeal. Plant your Little Henry Virginia Sweetspire bushes in a sunny or shady location; they will grow well in a wide range of light conditions, from full sun to full shade. Virginia willow is a member of the Grossulariaceae family, and native to the southeast United States. Save Comment 24 Like 12. So versatile; Itea Little Henry is perfect for smaller borders, grouped or massed on a large bank or the fresh white flowers will brighten a woodland garden. Monrovia's Little Henry® Dwarf Virginia Sweetspire details and information. Leaves are medium green in the summer, outer leaves turn bright red-purple in late fall, interior leaves turn shades of yellow and orange. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. Especially if the grooming introduced in the second "How to handle it" box appeals to you, your Itea need never have an off-day, let alone the months of downtime grace we extend to plants whose annual peaks are fewer or more ephemeral. A: I've seen occasional fungal leaf-spotting on Virginia sweetspires, but scale attack isn't common. Little Henry® Virginia Sweetspire will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. Like the popular ‘Henry’s Garnet’ Virginia sweetspire, Little Henry® has mildly fragrant white blooms in summer and red to orange leaf color in fall, but grows to just 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The butterflies love it. The shrub has a rounded habit and produces cylindrical drooping flowers (racemes) from late spring to mid-summer. Pronunciation: i-TE-a ver-JIN-i-ka. Karen Chapman October 1, 2012. The products I use - https://kit.com/HortTube This video is a detailed description of Little Henry® Itea (Dwarf Sweetspire). On older plants some of the heaviest cains can be removed to increase vigor. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. All Plants » RPM Trees & Shrubs « Prev Plant | Next ... Itea virginica 'Little Henry' Little Henry Sweetspire White spring flower clusters; Dark green leaves turn deep red in fall; Superior performance to the native species; Height: 24-36 Inches Spread: 24-36 Inches Hardiness Zone: 5 - 9 Interesting Notes: 'Little Henry' is a shorter, more compact version of this cultivar. Native to the woodlands of eastern North America, it is a good choice for woodland borders. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/20). The fall coloring will be strongest on plants in the sun. Sweetspires are supposedly versatile and not picky about soil, but I see them doing best in damp soil that's well drained, rich in organic matter, and sited in morning sun and afternoon shade. Email. sweetspire.henry.hedge1.JPG. Itea Itea. Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet' Other names. Which gives a … Learn more about Monrovia plants and best practices for best possible plant performance. It is tolerant to shade and will thrive in the most wet soils. More Images. In early summer, butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to a profusion of sweetly scented, white flowers that erupt over the mounding foliage. blooms in May. Itea virginica (Virginia Sweetspire) is an upright, rounded, deciduous shrub with arching branches boasting bottlebrush spikes, 4-6 in. * Common name: Virginia sweetspire Little Henry(R) * Botanical name: Itea virginica ‘Sprich’ * What it is: A compact, native flowering shrub that gets white, arching, bottle-brush flower clusters in late spring and then glossy, rich red leaves for weeks in fall. I planted clover in my lawns for the bees and my grandchildren run all over it with bare feet playing when they are staying with me. Sweetspire Itea – Pruning, Winter Care and Fertilizing. I'd hate to give up on sweetspire because it's a pretty plant when it's healthy. Sweetspire 'Henry's Garnet', Tassel-white 'Henry's Garnet', Virginia sweetspire 'Henry's Garnet' Genus. © 2020 Advance Local Media LLC. They open from the bottom up for a long-lasting display. The blooms are larger and more tolerant to colder climates than other sweetspires. And if I battle the scales, how would I go about it? I see them struggle the most in full sun, compacted clay and heat- and drought-prone spots. Its compact size makes it wonderful for any space. Many conventional nurseries sell this cultivar as the second most used cultivar after 'Henry's Garnet.' Prune the plant to improve the shape and reduce its size but, be careful not to remove more than 30% of the top growth. Bees don't sting unless you annoy them and the children were taught that a sting can hurt. Virginia Sweetspire prefers moist, rich, slightly acidic humusy soils in partial sun to partial shade, but tolerates a wide range of soil conditions and pHs. Back to Previous Page. The leaves have been getting black spots, and now my tree-care company told me they noticed scale insects. Twitter. Use it in massed plantings, mixed borders, and containers. I'd improve the soil in the new location with an inch or two of compost worked into the loosened top 10 or 12 inches of existing soil. 'Little Henry' sweetspire is an unassuming deciduous shrub that quickly earned a place as one of my favorites. Typically grows 3-4' (less frequently to 5') tall with a similar spread. This may sound drastic, but what I'd probably do in your case is whack back all growth to the ground and burn or get rid of the wood. Everything has to perform well without fussing or special fertilizer, cope with herds of deer and thick clay soil, and look good in the process. However flowering is best with some sun. Houzz Contributor. Features fragrant, tiny white flowers borne in cylindrical, drooping racemes (3-6" long) which cover the shrub with bloom in late spring to early summer. The moderately growing Itea … Here's what a colony of Virginia sweetspires should look like when not attacked by fungus or bugs. 270 locations nationwide! There is no room in my garden for prima donnas. Botanical name. 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