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malmason

Wintersweet or Carolina Allspice?

malmason
14 years ago

Hello,

I have cleared one spot that can have 1 tree. I would like to have something with a fountain shape, sort of the way Crape Mytle is pruned.

This site is between houses, by brick wall, West side of house, and I usually forget to water. The plant can grow and be tall.

If it was you, which plant will you choose? Why? Please share your thoughts.

Thank you!

Comments (9)

  • cweathersby
    14 years ago

    My vote would be for Wintersweet. There are quite a few reasons for this. 1 - I've lost Calycanthus at least 3 times due to lack of water, even though I watered them as often as I thought about it. None of my 4 wintersweets have EVER been watered and they've never missed a beat. 2- Wintersweet grows into a plant that could be easily pruned into a tree. Calycanthus would be hard to develop a leader to shape into a trunk. It's more branchy from the bottom. 3 - Wintersweet is a much stronger fragrance. On certain days it carries in the air. Calycanthus does not, and as often as not the fragrance is comparable to rotten strawberries. As many of my visitors hate the smell as like it. 4 - Wintersweet blooms in the winter when your soul is hungry for something to enjoy. Calycanthus blooms in early summer right along with every other thing on the planet! I like Calycanthus , and collect as many varieties as I can... and baby them along. But wintersweet is far more valuable to me.

  • mbuckmaster
    14 years ago

    For your site, agree that wintersweet is the better option. Better yet, underplant it with 'Venus' calycanthus if you ave the room!...the wintersweet can be trained as a tree, and the 'Venus' can be pruned as a shrub below it. Have it all, why not? =)

  • jeff_al
    14 years ago

    just for fun, a different opinion. this will probably not help you to decide but i have had totally different experiences. have had a wintersweet for several years and it has done nothing - not even flowered.
    calycanthus, however, grows with gusto in my climate. you can hardly kill it. i like the fragrance and it smells like ripe apples and berry to me.
    here is a photo of the one at the house next door. this is hot,dry western exposure. it was planted by the previous owner but the current renters do not tend the shrub at all. the house is probably 15' tall or better on this end because of the slope of the lot. the tips of the shrub are at rooftop.

  • malmason
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Dear all,

    Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and experiences about those plants. Indeed, reading your e-mails did not help me but made me want to have both plants - fragrance, size, water need...

    They are suppose to be available when Mercer Arboretum in Tomball, TX, has a sale in June. I will check around more and probably ask them about those plants too.

    Hmm... now reviewing the picture, maybe I can stick CA between my Sweet Olives, and plant Wintersweet at the location I was thinking about...

  • cweathersby
    13 years ago

    Like mbuckmaster said, Venus calycanthus grows low. It's my favorite. I've got it in a shady area of my rose garden which means that it gets plenty of water right along with the roses on a drip irrigation system.
    So far it's lived- and it's the only one I've got living at the moment.

  • ben773
    13 years ago

    My favorite Calycanthus is Athens...smells like Juicy Fruit Gum. Michael Lindsey is way overated! Too cold for Wintersweet in Chicagoland.

  • prairiegirlz5
    13 years ago

    Ben~What is the growth habit of Athens? Is it fuller than the one in Jeff's pic? What color is the flower, yellow or green, and when does it bloom? What soil/exposure is yours growing in? I live in south Chicagoland area. Here we would use witch hazel for late winter/early spring fragrance.

  • ben773
    13 years ago

    Prairiegirl5-My plant is about 3 ft right now, about 3 yo. It is quite full, so I prune it after flower. It takes a lot of abuse during winter, as all the snow was piled on it from the driveway. Thus, when it snows heavily, I don't see it at all in the winter until the great thaw. Some branches get broken, but it survives. Flowers are yellowish green and abundant. It grows as a foundation plant, thus, the soil is alkali (pH7.6). I acidify the soil with sulfur. Or else, the leaves look chlorotic. But the smell is worth it, so refreshing.

  • Dar Sunset Zone 18
    13 years ago

    To me, wintersweet seems more legendary in fragrance after hearing from personal accounts. The only thing preventing me from having one is it would be difficult for me to obtain. So I went with Calycanthus instead which seems to be more commonly available (and cheaper).

    It seems like a lovely flower, but to add to Calycanthus Venus low growing habit. I had secured the main branch to a bamboo stick last Summer, but it still wanted to grow laterally. (I took it off recently cos it was serving no purpose.) Even the new side shoots are pointing at a low angle, barely upwards. Here is mine from today, I will describe the scent when it blooms which looks like soon.

    (Its the one in the right, about 1 year old)

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