Itea virginica Little Henry® (Dwarf Sweetspire) Unity Grown

Itea virginica Little Henry® is a showy, dwarf cultivar of sweetspire, a suckering shrub native to much of the southeastern US, as far north as Pennsylvania and as far west as Texas. Growing to only 1.5-2' tall and slightly wider, Little Henry® is a much more condensed version of the parent species with all of the same ecological appeal. In the late spring and summer, Itea virginica Little Henry® produces fragrant bottlebrush flower clusters up to 3-6" long that attract a huge variety of pollinators and provide a wonderful floral aroma to the garden. In the fall, brilliant wine-red foliage lasts into winter to create multi-season appeal.

Itea virginica Little Henry® prefers full sun or part shade, making it a great addition to small beds and borders, but it also works great in shadier open woodland environments too. Little Henry® is not picky about soils, requiring only medium-wet well-draining earth, and tolerating wet soil, deer damage, and seasonal erosion thanks to its suckering roots.

(Photos courtesy of Proven Winners)