Scientific Name:
Calycanthus floridus
Pronunciation:
kal-ee-KAN-thus FLOR-id-us
Common Name:
Carolina allspice
Family Name:
Calycanthaceae
Plant Type:
Shrub - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves opposite, ovate-elliptic, 12-18cm long x 6-10cm wide, glossy, dark green, aromatic when crushed, pubescent underside, petiole ~1cm long; flowers 4-6cm long x 3-4cm wide, multiple pistils, tepals 7-20, with waxy appearance, maroon, fruity scented; fruit capsule-like, urn-shaped, aggregate with many achenes. Winter ID: persistent urn-shaped fruit, twigs pubescent.
Habit:
Dense, Upright
Form:
Oval - horizontal, Round
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
2 - 3m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
U.S. - southeast
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Cut flower or foliage, Fragrance, Mixed shrub border, Specimen plant, Spring interest, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Lustrous, Pubescent
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Elliptic, Ovate
Apices:
Caudate
Bases:
Obtuse, Rounded
Margins:
Entire, Undulate (wavy)
Additional Info:
Spectacular fall colour
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
11+
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Yellow, Dark-red (Maroon)
Flower Scent:
Fragrant, Sweet
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May, Jun
Fruit Type:
Aggregate fruit
Fruit Colour:
Green, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Persistent
Bark Morphology:
Lightly fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Brown
Organ Modifications:
Root suckering
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
Prune to shape soon after flowering
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant)
