Calycanthus floridus (Carolina sweetshrub)

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Calycanthus spp.

Sweetshrub

Calycanthaceae North America and China

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Fragrant (moderate)

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 4–9

Overview

Calycanthus spp. is a small genus of deciduous shrubs in the family Calycanthaceae, with species in eastern and western North America and in China. Plants form rounded, suckering shrubs 4-12 feet (1.2-3.7 m) tall and as wide, with aromatic bark and glossy, oval leaves 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long that turn yellow in autumn. From late spring into summer they carry flowers 1.5-3 inches (4-7.5 cm) across in which numerous strap-shaped tepals spiral around the centre, deep red-brown to maroon in the eastern C. floridus and the western C. occidentalis, and white to cream in the Chinese C. chinensis. The flowers of C. floridus carry a fruity scent that varies in strength between plants, and the crushed leaves and bark are also aromatic. Leathery, urn-shaped seed capsules follow and persist into winter. Calycanthus spp. grows in moist woodland and stream banks and tolerates a range of soils, though it can sucker into a broad clump and the seeds are reported to be toxic to grazing livestock.

Native Range

Calycanthus spp. is native to North America and China. C. floridus grows in the southeastern United States, C. occidentalis in California, and C. chinensis in eastern China. Plants occur in moist woodland, along stream banks, and on shaded slopes, usually in fertile, well-drained soil.

Suggested Uses

Calycanthus floridus is used as a fragrant flowering shrub in borders, woodland edges, and near paths and seating where the scent can be noticed. It suits informal and native plantings in USDA zones 4-9 and copes with part shade. Its suckering habit and eventual width call for room to spread.

How to Identify

Look for a rounded deciduous shrub with opposite, glossy oval leaves and aromatic bark that smells spicy when scratched. The flowers are made of many narrow, strap-shaped tepals spiralling around the centre, red-brown to maroon or, in the Chinese species, white. Leathery urn-shaped capsules hang on through winter. The spiral strap tepals and scented bark separate Calycanthus spp. from other shrubs with similar leaves.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4' - 12'

Width/Spread4' - 12'

Colors

Flower Colors

red

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering runs from late spring into summer, mainly May to July, with scattered later blooms on C. floridus. Each flower lasts about a week, and a shrub blooms over several weeks. Flower scent in C. floridus is strongest on warm days and varies from plant to plant.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

Red-brown to maroon, or white

Foliage Description

Glossy green, yellow in autumn

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

3-5 years to flowering size

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Plants grow in full sun to part shade on moist, fertile, free-draining soil and adapt to clay or sandy ground with added organic matter. C. floridus is hardy to about USDA zone 4 and tolerates heat and humidity in the southeast. Steady moisture gives fuller growth and flowering, while dry soil checks the plant. Suckers can be removed to limit spread or left to form a thicket. Pests and diseases are few, though chlorosis can show on very alkaline soils.

Pruning

Pruning is done just after flowering, thinning old stems at the base and shortening others to keep the shrub shapely. Suckers can be dug out each year to control the clump width. Hard renewal pruning of old, congested plants is tolerated and brings up vigorous new shoots.