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Itea virginica Linnaeus. Common name: Virginia-willow, Sweetspire, Tassel-white. Phenology: Apr-Jun. Habitat: Moist forests and thickets, especially along the banks of streams. Distribution: S. NJ south to s. FL and west to e. TX and OK, north in the interior (especially in the Mississippi Embayment) to s. IL and se. MO.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, F, FNA8, G, GW2, Il, K4, Mo3, NS, Pa, POWO, RAB, S, S13, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3. Basionym: Itea virginica L. 1753

Links to other floras: = Itea virginica - FNA8

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL
  • Great Plains: OBL
  • Midwest: OBL
  • Northcentral & Northeast: OBL

Heliophily ⓘ: 5

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image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Carol Ann McCormick | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Carol Ann McCormick | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Grant Morrow Parkins | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

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Height: 3-4 ft.; width 3-4 ft.

plant sale text: Virginia sweetspire is a southeastern native shrub valued for its beautiful bloom. Pendant spikes of white, sweetly scented flowers appear in May. They are a good source of nectar for butterflies and pollinators. In the fall, leaves turn red to purple in fall and last well into the winter. In the wild, Virginia sweetspire often grows in wetter areas and on stream banks. It also thrives in average garden soil. Bloom and leaf color are best in full sun.

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native range: eastern United States



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