No that is a bad choice for a prominent location like that. One, it is deciduous and will be naked half the year and two, Itea is a suckering shrub that spreads by rhizomes. It also favors moist to wet soils.

As much as you can in your cold winter climate try to use evergreen shrubs at corners and other places where you want solidity, with the deciduous ones more to the back and center of borders and other places where they will be flanked by evergreen kinds.

But don't these shrubs hold their colorful leaves well into early winter? I see what you've pointed out but if I mixed in some evergreen plants adjacent to it? Something like blue star junipers or boxwood

It is very effective when used in conjunction with complimentary evergreens. The suckering can be minimized by pruning.

here is the spot where I want to plant it.. you can see the actually pot in the pic in roughly the area I want to plant it.. Doug, what evergreen would you recommend? I have some blue-star juniper I can move there and perhaps Mr. Bowling Ball cedar? What do you think?

Here is an example of Itea being used near the front entry:

If the bright green to the left is supposed to be the itea I would put something evergreen there. For the same reason the hinoki is at the other end of the bed.

'Blue Star' can be blight susceptible where it is moist and grows 4 ft. across otherwise. The Zampini arborvitae selection I have seen starting to get a pointed top and grow out of the 'Ball' shape among stock offered at outlets here, if that would affect your plans.

Full sun SW exposure, in front of an office building nearby. I cannot say how full they remain, but right now they smell heavenly.

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The bright green shrub is not supposed to be itea, it is itea. The front of this house was planted as shown & looks great. Not everything needs to be evergreen.

Indianagardengirl, those are in bloom right now? Itea virginica?? I can't seem to zoom in on the picture at all, so I can't see - are those actually clethra alnifolia?

Hmmm. I am not familiar with clethra. I thought those sweet smelling bottle brush flowers were itea, but based on bloom time of clethra you are likely right. I won’t be back there until later next week so I can’t look closer yet. I’m sorry to have added to any confusion :-/

Itea bloom in June up here... probably in May in many USA locations... so probably something else, like clethra..And thanks Doug.. I think you've inspired me to plant the Itea in the front and go for it... I could always transplant it if it looked bad. But I figure a couple of other companion plants could work. Blue Stars do well here. I can try something else too... thanks to all

Now that I have seen pictures of your front walkway, I am good with using the Itea as one item in your entry plantings. Your original description had me picturing the typical narrow L-shaped walkway with the skinny bed up against the house by the front door.

My Itea Little Henry had so much winter die back that I eventually shovel pruned it after several seasons to put both me and it out of its misery.

There are several beds at my I workplace (most of a zone warmer than home) that have Itea planted, and while it is a nice plant as part of a mix, to my eye it is fairly unassuming, not a front and center type of plant. The fall color is more impressive than the flowers, but as Mad Gallica said, they drop their leaves along with most other shrubs. Fothergilla holds on a couple weeks longer, but not Itea, and even the Fothergilla has dropped its leaves by the second week in November, so no winter or even late fall interest.

So it might not even survive our winter... Hmm... We get down as cold as -28 C or so... I have planted it. It is close to a malenpatus maiden grass.. and I will put in an evergreen - maybe a thread-leaf cypress in between the two, which has done very well for me in the backyard... very sunny spot... well drained. It actually looks ok there right now..