Sweetshrub, Bare Root

Eastern Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)

A broad woodland-edge shrub with dark flowers and aromatic foliage. Seedlings vary in flower fragrance, so they should not be expected to match a selected fragrant cultivar.

Key Characteristics

Flowers with a beetle partnership

The dark flowers are visited especially by beetles. They add a different floral form and pollinator relationship to a mixed native border.

Fragrance varies among seedlings

Scent can differ substantially from plant to plant. Place it where you can get close to the flowers without promising every seedling the same fruity perfume.

A name that does not mean edible spice

Despite names such as Carolina allspice, this plant is not a kitchen substitute for culinary allspice. Use it for flowers, fragrance, and garden structure; do not eat the seeds.

Product Details

• Native range: Eastern and southeastern United States
• Life cycle: Deciduous woody perennial
• Sun: Full Sun; Part Sun/Shade; Full Shade
• Soil moisture: Medium-Dry; Medium; Medium-Wet
• Mature height: 6–12 feet
• Bloom: April–May–June
• Bloom color: Maroon, Red, Brown
• USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
• Fruit or seed: Brown seed capsules are ornamental; seeds and other plant parts are not food.
• Pollination: Flowers are primarily beetle-pollinated; this is an ornamental planting rather than a fruit crop.

Planting and Ongoing Care

Keep bare roots moist until planting, water the root zone during establishment, and mulch without covering the crown. Base fertilizer on a soil test; our Tree Planting Kit fertilizer blend can be used according to its label when feeding is needed.

Thin crowded stems and remove damaged wood. Water at soil level and avoid letting new plants dry out. Avoid insecticides on open flowers. Seed-grown plants vary in growth, flowering, and fruiting.