Eastern Sweetshrub

Description

Botanical Name:  Calycanthus floridus

Common Name:  Eastern Sweetshrub, Carolina Allspice, Bubby Bush, Common Sweetshrub, Spicebush, Sweet Betsy, Sweet Bubby Bush, Sweetshrub, Strawberry Bush

Description:    First off, look at all those common names!! You’ll notice that some of them are also used to describe other species. This is a good example of why it’s important to know both the botanical names and common names of plants.

Sweetshrub is yet another absolutely gorgeous Florida native shrub. Its native habitat is in shady woodlands and along streambanks.  It grows 6-12′ tall with an equal or slightly greater spread. Has a moderate growth rate.

It is commonly called Sweetshrub and Strawberry Bush in reference to the showy fragrant blooms which have been described as combining hints of pineapple, strawberry, and banana. The flowers bloom in the spring and are a beautiful burgundy color. The 2″ wide flowers bloom at the ends of short branchlets. The sepals and petals are similar and are referred to as tepals. They are strap-like. Blooms appear from mid-April to mid-May and then occasional flowers into July. The leaves turn a gold/yellow color in the fall before dropping. The leaves and bark are also aromatic when bruised. Sweetshrub produces good cut flowers, and the flowers, leaves, twigs and bark may be dried to use in potpourri.

Sweetshrub grows best in average to rich, well-drained soil in part sun, part shade, or deep shade. It prefers some shade from the hot afternoon summer sun. If grown in shade, it will be lankier and less dense. It’s good for your rain garden because it can handle brief periods of flooding. It is drought tolerant after becoming established, but I wouldn’t plant it in very sandy and very dry soil. It will sucker from the roots, so it makes a nice hedge. If you want it to grow more as a single shrub, simply cut back the suckers.

Butterflies, beetles, and other pollinators are attracted to the flowers. Is deer resistant.

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray.

This plant in 3-gallon containers is 2 – 4 feet tall.

This plant in 7-gallon containers is 4 – 6 feet tall.

Plant Lore:  The scientific name derives from the Greek words kaylx which means calyx and anthos which means flowers.

Florida Hardiness Zones  8 – 9