Description
Hardy, North American shrub
Description: Deep maroon, sweetly fragrant flowers in late spring
Habit: Grows to 7 feet tall and 10 feet across
Culture: Prefers full sun or light shade and rich, evenly moist, garden loam
Hardiness: Cold hardy to USDA Zone 5
Origin: North America
Attributes: deer resistant
Jefferson documented
This handsome shrub, native to the southeastern United States, was introduced in 1726. Its other common names include: Bubby Flower, Carolina Allspice, Sweet Betsy, and Strawberry Bush, in reference to the flowers' strawberry-like fragrance. Thomas Jefferson first recorded planting "19 Bubby flower shrubs, calycanthus" at Monticello March 7, 1778. The plants, thought to be rare in Virginia, had been collected from the Green Mountains in southwestern Albemarle County. He went on to write: "they are said to be very common in So. Carolina". He planted more in 1794, 1812, and 1815, and shipped plants as gifts to Madame de Tessé in Paris. Today, Sweetshrubs thrive along the winding flower walk and are scattered through the lower grove at Monticello, where they are not attractive to browsing deer.
