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Eastern Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus var. glaucus): Fragrant Native Shrub

Overview

Eastern sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus var. glaucus) is a deciduous shrub native to the southeastern US. It bears unusual, dark red, fragrant flowers in spring that smell like ripe apples or strawberries. Glaucous (bluish) leaf undersides.

Botanical Details

Family:	Calycanthaceae
Genus:	Calycanthus (kal-ee-KAN-thus)
Species:	floridus var. glaucus
Synonym:	Calycanthus glaucus
Synonym:	Calycanthus floridus var. laevigatus
Synonym:	Calycanthus fertilis

Landscape Uses

Moist, well-drained soil, part shade. Fragrant flowers and foliage. Good for woodland edges, native gardens, and near patios. Deer resistant. Fall color yellow.

Herbs: Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa); Lepismium cruciforme (Trailing Cactus); Echinocereus scheeri subsp. gentryi: A Clumping, Pink-Flowered Hedgehog; Dicksonia sellowiana (Tree Fern); American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana): Native Shrub with Electric Purple Berries; Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana): Pungent Root for Sauce and Medicine; Korean Mint (Agastache rugosa): Robust, Licorice-Scented Perennial for Tea and Pollinators; Growing Calycanthus (Sweetshrub): Fragrant Native Shrub for Spring Blooms; Sweetshrub Without Fragrance: Maybe It's the Variety; Transplanting Sweetshrub Suckers

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