Calycanthus floridus Burgundy Spice

last year

I just received one of these from wilsonbros.com. I've been admiring this variety in the display gardens at dancingoaks.com for several years. It has gorgeous autumn foliage but is growing very slowly, unlike all other Calycanthus I've seen. Is anyone growing this and can comment on growth rate?

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Comments (4)

arbordave (SE MI)
last year
No experience with Burgundy Spice myself, but the Chicago Botanic Garden's "Comparative Evaluation of Sweetshrubs" gave Burgundy Spice a rating of 3 out of 4, and its size after 4 years (2020-2023) was 50" high and 63" wide. The patent for Burgundy Spice describes it as having a "moderately vigorous, upright growth habit".
Tim Wood
last year
Good purchase. These are beautiful, but hard to find. It should pick up speed once it established. It may send up the occasional green sucker, but these are easy to identify and remove.
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artinnaturez8b
Original Author
last year
Hi Tim, Indeed, I would have bought one just down the road from me at dancingoaks.com, but when I asked about the plant in their gardens Fred said "I would like to sell you one but we don't have any, and they're very hard to find".

arbordave, that does seem rather slow to me. I've planted it towards the front of one of my borders taking the slower growth into account.
UpperBayGardener (zone 7)
last year
The problem with mine is reverting to green, and I've gotten tired of cutting the reversions out.