Saturday, June 02, 2007

Sweet Shrub


The Sweet Shrub is almost finished blooming. I believe it is Calycanthus floridus, although when it was given to me, the owner called it a strawberry bush. I guess the small blooms do resemble a strawberry.

This bush fills the air with a sweet, pungent odor for the month of May. The shrub is about 10’ tall and 6’ wide. I hack it back a couple of times during the summer to keep it within bounds. In the early spring, I dig up the runners so I won’t end up with 100 sweet shrubs. It doesn’t seem to be bothered by any diseases or bugs.

While the blooms aren’t much to look at, the fragrance is irresistibly alluring.

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