Scientific Name:
Calycanthus chinensis
Pronunciation:
kal-ee-KAN-thus chye-NEN-sis
Common Name:
Chinese allspice
Family Name:
Calycanthaceae
Plant Type:
Shrub - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves opposite, ovate-elliptic, 12-18cm long x 6-10cm wide, glossy, rought upper surface, petiole ~1cm long; flowers 5-8cm wide, multiple pistils, tepals 7-20 with waxy appearance; fruit capsule-like, urn-shaped, aggregate with many achenes. Winter ID: persistent fruit; twigs glabrous.
Habit:
Dense, Upright
Form:
Oval - horizontal, Round
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
2 - 3m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China, South Asia / India
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 6: (-23 to -18 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade, Sheltered
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Fragrance, Mixed shrub border, Specimen plant, Spring interest, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Shapes:
Elliptic, Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Obtuse
Margins:
Entire, Undulate (wavy)
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
11+
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Yellow (White to slightly pinkish tint, yellow centres)
Flower Scent:
Fragrant
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul
Fruit Type:
Aggregate fruit, Aborted (hybrids) or absent
Fruit Colour:
Green, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Persistent
Bark Morphology:
Lightly fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Dark brown
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
Prune to shape soon after flowering
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant)
