Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet' (Virginia sweetspire)

Henry's Garnet Virginia sweetspire is a favored "naturalistic" shrubs because it has multi-season interest and wears well in innumerable garden styles.

In spring, the 6" long, white pendulous flowers dangle all over the shrub like a designer who loves tassels and fringe. Then it looks well-dressed all summer with arching branches and green leaves; wrapping it up with outstanding red-turning-burgundy attire in the autumn.

Have you noticed that the winter-bare, arching, red/burgundy-colored stems add winter interest? Use that feature to advantage.

At my old house in town, I planted Henry's Garnet right next to an unsightly, yellow-painted curb - this sweetspire colonized the area and the red winter stems popped out against that yellow, the pine-straw, and the dwarf evergreen backdrop. (I did add loads of compost to that curb-side bed, so this woodland/waterway native was, indeed, very happy with the soil.)

Regarding gardens uses, its fits in as well in:

• a naturalistic shrub/woods setting;
• or along a body of water;
• or dotted along a dry creek bed;
• as it does when colonizing a modern suburban landscape;
• or a grand sweeping estate yard;
• as it fit in colonizing and beautifying my ugly curbside downtown. Which is to say, very well.

We do like a worthy awards ceremony, so here's a badge on Henry's Garnet chest: it received a Gold Medal from the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society. 

The newest hotness is Itea virginica Love Child, because it's a foot shorter than Henry's Garnet. LC  has grown very well for us in containers and we have it planted out in . . . where else but the Itea garden (side-by-side with several types, that are all doing great because Itea is great).

• preference is for moist soils so this is a great plant for low spots, ditches, next to ornamental ponds and bogs, downspouts, and for stabilizing runoff areas
• a native colonizer that will gently fill in an area