Itea chinensis: Country Or Region Of Origin
Vietnam and Myanmar
Plant Profile: Itea chinensis
Names
Chinese Sweetspire
Phonetic Spelling:eye-TEE-ah chi-NEN-sis
Genus:Itea
Species:chinensis
Family:Iteaceae
Itea is a sprawling, low-growing shrub that is semi-evergreen in nature. It typically grows between 6 to 10 feet in height and can spread up to 6 feet wide, making it an excellent choice for group plantings aimed at naturalizing landscapes. This plant thrives in moist conditions and can flourish in full sun or partial shade. In the spring, it produces delicate, drooping clusters of small white flowers.
Itea chinensis Feature Summary
Tags
#evergreen
#full sun tolerant
#perennial
#white flowers
#spring flowers
#wet sites
#naturalizes
#evergreen shrub
#small group plantings
#partial shade tolerant
Similar Plants
Itea chinensis Feature Summary
Attributes
Flowers
Pendulous flowers
White
Raceme
Spring
< 1 inch
Leaves
Glossy dark green leaves.
Broadleaf Evergreen
Green
Simple
Alternate
Leathery
Bark
glabrous
Light Gray
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Broadleaf Evergreen
Arching
Slow
Low
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Good Drainage
Moist
6-feet-12 feet
Coastal
Piedmont
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Stem
Gray/Silver
Landscape
Itea chinensis Image Gallery
Itea chinensis Attributes
Itea chinensis: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Itea chinensis: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Itea chinensis Flowers
Itea chinensis: Flower Description
Pendulous flowers
Itea chinensis: Flower Color
White
Itea chinensis: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Itea chinensis: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Itea chinensis: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Itea chinensis Leaves
Itea chinensis: Leaf Description
Glossy dark green leaves.
Itea chinensis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Itea chinensis: Leaf Color
Green
Itea chinensis: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Itea chinensis: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Itea chinensis: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Itea chinensis: Leaf Feel
Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy
Itea chinensis Bark
Itea chinensis: Bark Description
glabrous
Itea chinensis: Bark Color
Light Gray
Itea chinensis Whole Plant Traits
Itea chinensis: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Itea chinensis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Itea chinensis: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Itea chinensis: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Itea chinensis: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Itea chinensis: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Itea chinensis Cultural Conditions
Itea chinensis: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Itea chinensis: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Itea chinensis: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Itea chinensis: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Itea chinensis: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Itea chinensis Stem
Itea chinensis: Stem Color
Gray/Silver
Itea chinensis: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Itea chinensis Landscape
Itea chinensis: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Itea chinensis: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Itea chinensis: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
