Chinese sweetshrub
Calycanthus chinensis
MBG Plant of Merit 2018
USDA zones6 to 8
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size5 to 10 feet tall5 to 10 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Dense
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Pinkish-white
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Chinese sweetshrub (Calycanthus chinensis) is a shrub for borders, specimens, accents, and shade gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 6, or down to -10°F (-23°C). This plant likes full or part sun and average to moist soil of most types. It grows in a dense, moderate habit and gives bees pinkish-white blooms from spring into autumn. It also tolerates drought once settled. It sits low on the menu for deer and rabbits.
Pairs well with Bigleaf hydrangea, Japanese forest grass, and Praying Hands hosta.
Native range
Eastern China.