Common Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)
Plants that have been around for a long time often become less popular for gardens, but common sweetshrub is one plant that seems to defy that logic by gaining in popularity.
While common sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) may not be on the tip of everyone’s tongue, it certainly should catch the attention of most gardeners as an excellent deciduous shrub. While the popularity of this plant is not debated, which common name to use might be. In addition to common sweetshrub, common names include Carolina allspice, strawberry shrub, sweet-scented shrub, Bubby blossom, Sweet Bubby, Sweet Bettie, and spicebush. Yikes!
The flower is one of the cherished ornamental features of common sweetshrub. It resembles a red radish that has been splayed on a party platter. The 1-1.5†diameter flowers first appear in mid-April and continue with significant numbers through mid-May. This first wave is followed with sporadic flowers through July. The distinctive deep blood-red flower is composed of many strap-like tepals. These strap-like structures are called tepals because we cannot easily distinguish between the petals and sepals (typically the green appendages below the colorful petals).
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