Sweetshrub, also known as Carolina Allspice, is a medium-sized deciduous understory shrub native to woodland openings and streamsides, in bottomlands and moist hillsides. In the wild, it tends to move around by root suckers to find the sun and moisture it prefers. In cultivation, when supplied with ample sun, moisture, and fertility, it grows into a full, rounded, bushy form that fits right into the shrub border, foundation plantings, and as an attractive specimen. The broad, dark green leaves that clothe the plant in summer will turn beautifully golden in fall. It will begin flowering in May and sporadically into June and July, filling the air with its sweet, fruity fragrance that gives this plant its common names. The deep maroon flowers attract beetles as their main pollinators, but butterflies will also drink their nectar.
Sources:
Native Trees, Shrubs, & Vines by William Cullina
Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael A. Dirr
Missouri Botanical Garden
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Mt Cuba Center
