SCIENTIFIC NAME: Itea virginica

COMMON NAME: sweetspire

FLOWERS: White, perfect, slightly fragrant and in 4" to 6" long racemes in early May-June. Showy.

LEAVES: Alternate, simple, with a red petiole and very fine serrations. Young twigs will zig-zag at the nodes. Up to 3" long.

GROWTH HABIT: Grows 5' tall and wide.

OTHER: Hardy from zone 5 to 9. Does well in part shade or full sun. Is a native shrub that should be used in fragrance gardens. Is drought tolerant. Young twigs are green like a blueberry twig. A member of the Saxifragaceae family.