PlantFiles: Virginia Sweetspire, Gooseberry, Itea
Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet'

I have this plant in my back yard (wood edge, light shade, moist, well-drained soil) and it has done very well. I have expanded my front garden, which gets sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon, and has drier and more clay-ey soil, but I am going to try another Henry Garnet there. Love the fragrance and the fall color!

This is a native plant to the Eastern US, where the genus Ribes has been cultivated as a food crop from at least colonial times. I remember my Great-grandmother having several rows of gooseberries. But those were always Ribes of whatever species. Generally geooseberries are Ribes with fruit much larger than currants and colored green, gold or blush pink. I know how varied common names are, but this one confuses me bcause sweetspires are native and gooseberries are very traditional and common.

This plant has been very easy to grow in fairly good shade. In my area depending on soil it can take on some yellowing from high ph soils but is easily correctible. Mine has established very well in one year and has grown quite quickly in its second year. Henry's Garnet is very handsome in leaf and in flower. It has very nice fall coloration too. I have noticed one of my branches has developed a mutation that the leaves are now variegated. They are mottled in different patterns green, creme, and white. When the summer gets warmer some light rose shading occurs on these leaves as well. The variegation is not overly noticible to the point it is annoying. If proves to be a stable mutation I will try to grow new plants out of it.

This plant has fragrant attractive racemes of white flowers in mid-Summer, followed by green berries which turn brownish purple.

If given moist soil, it will sucker vigorously, and may spread beyond where it was intended. Provide adequate water, but do not keep constantly moist to help check its growth.