June 25, 2025| Education, Environment
By: Laurie and Marty Kane
If you’re looking for a shrub that shines from spring through fall, sweetspire (Itea virginica), also known as Virginia sweetspire, is a standout, and it’s currently blooming in our native gardens. This deciduous shrub features long tassels of fragrant white flowers that appear in late spring to early summer and last for several weeks, attracting bees and butterflies, with occasional visits from hummingbirds. These bottlebrush-shaped blooms are followed by seed heads enjoyed by songbirds. In fall, sweetspire’s finely serrated leaves turn brilliant shades of red, orange, and purple, adding vibrant color well into winter.
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Native to the woodlands of eastern North America, sweetspire typically grows 3 to 8 feet tall and is generally deer resistant. In the wild, it thrives in damp woods, swamps, and pine barrens. It prefers moist soil but adapts well to drier conditions, making it a strong choice for rain gardens. It’s also ideal for borders, woodland edges, and along streambanks or lakeshores, where its spreading shoots help reduce erosion. It is an outstanding native plant to consider as an alternative near your house to boxwoods, rhododendrons, azaleas, and hydrangeas. Several are thriving in front of our office at the historic Lake Hopatcong Station.
We invite you to visit our native plant gardens at 125 Landing Road, Landing, NJ, to see these buzzworthy blooms and so many more! We hope you’ll be inspired to add native plants to your yard or garden, supporting local wildlife and contributing to a healthier environment.
