General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 4b -31.7 °C (-25 °F) to -28.9 °C (-20 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 9b
Plant Height: 3 to 9 feet
Plant Spread: 6 to 12 feet
Leaves: Good fall color
Deciduous
Fragrant
Other: leaves turn yellow in fall
Flowers: Showy
Fragrant
Other: Try to purchase sweetshrub when in bloom to find one with fragrance. There is variation in the amount and nature of the perfume. The flowers also seem to become more fragrant as they age.
Flower Color: Other: Maroon
Bloom Size: 3"-4"
Flower Time: Spring
Late spring or early summer
Summer
Late summer or early fall
Uses: Windbreak or Hedge
Cut Flower
Dried Flower
Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Birds
Butterflies
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Toxicity: Other: Ruminants are reported to have a toxic reaction from grazing this plant. Calycanthus contains calycanthine, an alkaloid similar to strychnine, and it is toxic to humans and livestock if consumed in large quantities.
Propagation: Seeds: Sow in situ
Other info: Seed needs to be fresh. Plant right away or stratify for 60 days before planting.
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Stem
Layering
Division
Stolons and runners
Pollinators: Various insects
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Needs repotting every 2 to 3 years
Needs excellent drainage in pots
Awards and Recognitions: RHS AGM
Parentage: Calycanthus chinensis x Calycanthus floridus

Image
Common names
  • Sweet Shrub
  • Eastern Sweetshrub
  • Carolina Allspice
  • Strawberry Shrub
  • Raulston Allspice
  • Bubby Bush
  • Sweet Betsy
  • Florida Spice Bush
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Calycanthus x raulstonii
  • Synonym: XSinocalycalycanthus raulstonii

Photo Gallery
Location: Vermont
Date: 2020-07-21
Location: Meadowlark Botanical Garden, Fairfax, Virginia (May 2022)
Date: 2022-05-01
Location: Picture taken at Morris Arboretum.
Date: 2019-05-21
Location: Botanical Garden Meise (near Brussels - Belgium)
Date: 2023-05-15
Location: Meise botanical garden
Date: 2017-05-17
Location: Botanical Garden Meise (near Brussels - Belgium)
Date: 2023-05-15
Location: Mid-America Gardens
Date: 2015-05-13
Location: Vermont
Date: 2014-06-10
Location: Maryland
Date: 2015-05-05
Location: Vermont
Date: 2014-06-14
Location: Meadowlark Botanical Garden, Fairfax, Virginia (May 2022)
Date: 2022-05-01
Location: Meise botanical garden
Date: 2022-05-17
Location: Botanical garden of Crete
Date: 2022-06-01
Location: Maryland
Date: 2016-04-24
Location: Meise botanical garden
Date: 2022-05-17
Location: Meise botanical garden
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2015-05-31
Location: Mid-America Gardens
Date: 2015-05-13
Location: Picture taken at Morris Arboretum.
Date: 2019-05-21
Location: Vermont
Date: 2016-05-29
Location: Vermont
Date: 2013-09-29
Location: Silver Spring, MD
Date: 2014-06-29
Location: Vermont
Date: 2014-05-14

Photo courtesy of Joy Creek Nursery
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-05-15
Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2020-06-07
Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2020-06-07
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-04-30
Location: Vermont
Date: 2013-09-29
Comments:
  • Posted by Catmint20906 (PNW WA half hour south of Olympia - Zone 8a) on Aug 23, 2014 8:33 AM concerning plant:
    Raulston Allspice (Calycanthus x raulstonii 'Hartlage Wine') is a distinctive hybrid between U.S. native sweetshrub/Carolina allspice, Calycanthus floridus, and Sinocalycanthus chinensis, its Chinese counterpart. The extremely interesting story of the creation of this intergeneric hybrid is told in the scientific literature in Horticultural Science (2001) http://hortsci.ashspublication... . A brief personal account can also be found at http://www.landmorphology.com/... .

    The blooms of Raulston Allspice 'Hartlage Wine' are a lovely deep wine color. In my zone 7a garden, this shrub has continued to put out blossoms throughout the summer. Likes morning sun.
  • Posted by flaflwrgrl (North Fl. - Zone 8b) on Aug 1, 2014 6:33 PM concerning plant:
    This Calycanthus is actually a cross between C. floridus and its rare asian relative, C. chinensis, also known as Chinese wax plant. It has larger blooms than its parent father, C. floridus; however, the blooms do not bear the intensity of fragrance of the North American native Calycanthus cultivars.

    The name Raulston is in honor of J. C. Raulston (director of the N.C. State University Arboretum), who had obtained cuttings of C. chinensis and had grown them in the Arboretum. The similarity of the fruits of C. floridus and C. chinensis was noticed, and that led to an experiment to determine whether the two could be crossed. Years later, the cross finally bloomed and we have a new hybrid.
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