Burgundy Spice Sweetshrub

This year, the newest shrub addition to my garden is a Burgundy Spice sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus var purpureus ‘Burgundy Spice’). When I spotted it across the nursery, it was as if a big neon arrow was pointing at it with a sign saying “Buy Me.”

Burgundy Spice is an exciting cultivar of the Southeast native sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus), bred and introduced by Pleasant Run Nursery in New Jersey. Hardy to USDA planting zones 6 to 9, the dark purplish-red foliage adds texture and interest to the landscape. The leaves hold their color throughout hot South Carolina summers, turning a yellowish-orange in the fall before leaf drop.

Maroon flowers bloom throughout May and June and have a spicy mango-pineapple fragrance. The flowers attract butterflies and pollinating insects. Burgundy Spice blooms in the spring on old growth; therefore, prune after flowering when necessary.

Burgundy Spice grows best in organically rich, well-drained soil and is drought tolerant when well established. Plant it in a spot with morning sun with filtered afternoon shade. This deciduous shrub matures at 6 to 8 feet tall by 5 to 6 feet wide and has a slowly suckering growth habit.

Similar to all sweetshrubs, Burgundy Spice is deer resistant. It is an excellent addition to woodland borders, cottage gardens, native plantings, or as a specimen.

For more information on growing sweetshrubs, see HGIC 1087, Sweetshrub.