Sweetgale

Light Needs

Full Shade to Full Sun

(Can Grow In Most Sunlight Conditions)

Mature Height

4-6 Feet

Mature Spread

4-6 Feet

Growing Zones

2 to 8

Sweetgale is a charming plant that can live in some of the most challenging conditions. The dark, glossy green foliage is narrow and has a pleasant scent. The green-hued flowers are not very showy and give way to small berries later in the season. As a native plant, Sweetgale requires very little care once it has settled in, but more importantly, this plant provides food and shelter for various native birds. 

This shrub thrives in wet conditions, so it is a natural choice for damp areas, along streams, or near ponds or marshes. Sweetgale is so hardy it can even handle brackish and saltmarsh conditions. This shrub grows as a perennial in USDA zones 2 through 8.

Sweetgale Care

Plant in a location that receives between 4 and 6 hours of sunlight. Soil should be rich, moist, and well-drained. Sweetgale thrives in damp conditions and has high water needs. This plant does not need to be watered when the soil is naturally wet, but monitor the conditions and water when the top few inches of soil dry out.

New plants benefit from a fertilizer high in phosphorus, while established shrubs do best with a balanced fertilizer applied during the spring. Prune and shape as needed after the flowers fade.

Sweetgale Spacing

This upright shrub has a mounded form and will reach 4 to 6 feet tall and equally wide. Create a full mass planting by spacing shrubs 3 to 5 feet apart.