Phlox Subulata (moss pink) in landscape. Photo © Elaine Mills

Calycanthus floridus (Sweet-shrub)

Calycanthus floridus, Sweet-shrub, fruit in March

Calycanthus floridus, Sweet-shrub, flower buds in April

Calycanthus floridus, Sweet-shrub, flower in April

Calycanthus floridus, Sweet-shrub, flower in April

Calycanthus floridus, Sweet-shrub, in April

Calycanthus floridus, Sweet-shrub, 'Athens' flower in May

Calycanthus floridus, Sweet-shrub, fruit in July

Calycanthus floridus, Sweet-shrub, fruit in July

Calycanthus floridus, Sweet-shrub, fruit in September

Note: Click on images to see enlarged photos, captions, and photo attributions.
On a mobile phone, click on the information symbol (circle with a letter ℹ︎ symbol).

While primarily native to several southeastern states,* this trouble-free shrub, also known as Carolina Allspice, does well in Northern Virginia. It delights the senses with showy and fragrant flowers when planted as a specimen or a screening hedge near a front door or patio. Shrub Flowers, ‘Athens’ Cultivar, Fruit, Leaves Height: 6–9 Spread: 6–12 Bloom Color: Maroon Characteristics Upright, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub with rounded habit in sun and open habit in shade Lustrous, leathery, aromatic, ovate to elliptic, dark green leaves turn yellow in fall Showy 2-inch maroon flowers with overlapping, strap-like tepals have fruity fragrance April–July Wrinkled, urn-shaped, 3-inch fruit (pseudocarp) matures from green to brown & persists into winter Spreads by suckering to form colonies Attributes Tolerates clay soil and wet soil No serious pests or diseases Deer seldom severely damage Attracts beetle pollinators; mammals eat seeds Growing and Maintenance Tips Excellent Replacement for Soil Requirements: Well-drained loam Daphne sp. - Daphne Light Requirements: Sun, Partial Shade Lonicera spp. - Bush Honeysuckle Water Requirements: Moist Michelia figo - Banana Shrub Prune immediately after flowering to shape; remove root suckers if spreading not desired Philadelphis lewisii - Mock Orange Shallow roots benefit from mulch Syringa vulgaris - Lilac Use in shrub borders, foundation plantings *In the Mid-Atlantic Region, it grows in isolated counties from PA to VA. It is not native to NoVA. Hardiness: USDA Zones 4–9 developed by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, serving Arlington and Alexandria Images by Elaine Mills, Arlington, VA

Tried and True Native Plant Selections
for the Mid-Atlantic

Print Version (Legal Size):
Calycanthus floridus (Sweet-shrub)

While primarily native to several southeastern states,* this trouble-free shrub, also known as Carolina Allspice, does well in Northern Virginia. It delights the senses with showy and fragrant flowers when planted as a specimen or a screening hedge near a front door or patio.

*In the Mid-Atlantic Region, it grows in isolated counties from PA to VA. It is not native to NoVA.

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants:
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets

Back to Top