Is Virginia Sweetspire deer resistant?
Itea virginica
Plant typeShrubHardinessZones 5–9LightPart shade
Mature height48–96 in
BloomSpring and SummerMaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Native range21 US states
About Virginia Sweetspire
Drooping white flower tassels in early summer and crimson autumn colour that holds into December, later than almost any other shrub. Tolerates wet ground and part shade. Suckers gently into a broad low mass.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- High
- Spacing
- 47 to 71 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Virginia Sweetspire
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
- Antelope BitterbrushPurshia tridentataSeldom damaged
- Anthony Waterer SpireaSpiraea x bumaldaZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- Apache PlumeFallugia paradoxaZones 6–10Seldom damaged
- Armstrong JuniperJuniperus chinensis 'Armstrongii'Zones 4–9Seldom damaged
- Autumn OliveElaeagnus umbellataZones 4–9Seldom damaged
- Autumn SageSalvia greggiiZones 6–9Seldom damaged
Where Virginia Sweetspire grows
Hardy across most of these 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesota
- Missourinative
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texasnative
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delawarenative
- West Virginia
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansasnative
- Oklahomanative
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbianative
- Hawaii
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 21 US states in total.
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Every list Virginia Sweetspire belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Virginia Sweetspire
- Is Virginia Sweetspire deer resistant?
- Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Virginia Sweetspire grow in?
- Virginia Sweetspire is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Virginia Sweetspire grow in shade?
- Yes. Virginia Sweetspire tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Virginia Sweetspire get?
- Mature height is roughly 48–96 in. Growth rate is moderate.