Love Child® Sweetspire

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

6-11 Inches

Mature Spread

6-11 Inches

Growing Zones

6 to 9

The Love Child® Sweetspire is a beauty that is like having two stunning plants in one. The bright green oval leaves come to a point and provide lush color throughout the spring and summer. By fall, the foliage turns a rich, deep burgundy hue. The foliage puts on a show, but this plant also boasts fragrant white racemes or flower clusters in the spring. The Itea virginica 'Bailteaone' is a dazzling easy-care plant that provides color and interest throughout the spring, summer, and fall.

This shrub has an upright, mounded growth habit and is small in size at about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. The compact size makes this plant a great option for small spaces or use in a border or in front of a foundation wall. The flower clusters attract pollinators, and if you allow the flowers to go to seed, you can watch birds drop by to feed on the seeds. The foliage is deer-resistant so that you can enjoy the greenery even in areas prone to damage from animals. The Love Child® Sweetspire grows as a perennial in USDA zones 6 through 9.

Love Child® Sweetspire Care

Plant this shrub in full sun to partial shade. Sweetspire can live in lower light levels but expect more vibrant foliage when grown in full sun. Soil should be rich, acidic, and moist but well-drained. Give new plants one inch of water per week for the first growing season. Established plants are drought-tolerant, but give the plant a drink during a dry spell to support healthy growth.

This shrub naturally maintains a rounded look, so pruning is not necessary, but you can trim the plant to keep the size or shape. Feed the Love Child® Sweetspire using a balanced fertilizer in the spring.

Love Child® Sweetspire Spacing

This upright perennial will grow 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Space plants 2 to 3 feet apart when creating a low hedge or continuous planting.