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Hollyleaf Sweetspire

Itea ilicifolia

Also called Holly-leaved sweet spire, Holly Leaf Sweetspire, Holly Leaved Sweetspire

Hollyleaf Sweetspire
Photo: A. Barra, CC BY 3.0

Hollyleaf sweetspire is an evergreen shrub from western China, grown for its glossy holly-like leaves and long, fragrant summer and autumn flower sprays. Keep young plants sheltered from dry winds while they establish.

Family
Iteaceae (Ite family)
Grows as
Shrub
Light
Part shade, Full sun
Water
Keep soil evenly moist during establishment, then water during dry spells.
Soil
Moist, well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral soil enriched with organic matter.
Temperature
Hardy in cold winters; protect young plants from frost and dry winds.
How easy
Easy
Native range
China (E. Sichuan to SW. Shaanxi and Guangxi)
Climate
temperate

About

Itea ilicifolia, the holly-leaved sweet spire, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iteaceae, native to western China. It is an evergreen shrub growing to 3–5 m (10–16 ft) tall by 3 m (10 ft) broad, with glossy holly-like leaves and fragrant drooping racemes of greenish-white flowers, 30 cm (12 in) long, in summer and autumn. It is hardy, though young plants require protection from dry winds.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Other Itea plants

Virginia sweetspire

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Itea ilicifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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