Summersweet Shrubs

Description

• Multiple stems are the norm with summersweet with the shrub growing from 5 to 8 feet tall. The leaves develop to 4 inches long and 2 inches wide, emerging late in the springtime. The green leaves turn yellow-green or hues of brown in fall. The flowers, described as similar to a household bottlebrush by the Missouri Botanical Garden, are white, generated in spikes as long as 6 inches. They bloom in July and August and they are quite aromatic. In time, the flowers change into brown seed capsules, which sometimes last for up to 2 years on the shrub.

Growth

• Tolerant of heat and cold, summersweet survives from U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 3 through 9. Plant summersweet in average soil or locate it in spots where the ground is somewhat damp. Pond edges or low-lying spots where water normally collects are potential sites for this species. Avoid hot, dry sites. Summersweet tolerates a full-shade location, but the bush develops best in partial shade and acidic soil. Summersweet sometimes takes a while to establish itself in the landscape, but once it established, it spreads through its rhizome root system.

Cultivars

• Anne Bidwell is a summersweet cultivar known for having flowers bigger than those of the parent species. It grows to 6 feet high. Hummingbird has a reputation for producing shiny leaves, plentiful flowers and solid fall color, growing to 4 feet tall. The flowers on September Beauty bloom two weeks later than a normal summersweet shrub. Ruby Spice features pink flowers, while Creels Calico has variegated leaves, green with cream-white streaks.

Uses

• Summersweet serves as a foundation plant because it has an upright form and it grows in the shade. Use it in shrub borders or create privacy screens with summersweet. The flowers make it a potential specimen plant. Make summersweet's ability to spread in wet areas work to your advantage by planting it in damp spots, allowing the shrub to cover a large area where nothing else grows.