Itea Virginica, ‘Little Henry’: Featured Plant Profile by James McLoughlin

If you’ve been looking for a native medium-sized shrub this autumn with great fall color to replace the ubiquitous and highly invasive Wing-tipped Euonymous, which has wreaked havoc on our fragile ecosystems and out-competed many of our native woodland plants, then Itea Virginica ‘Little Henry’ is a worthy choice. ‘Little Henry’ is a dwarf cultivar of ‘Henry Garnett’ Itea Virginica, a deciduous under-story shrub native to the Southeast woodlands. Reaching 3-5’ high and wide, ‘Little Henry’ has a compact graceful growth habit that requires limited pruning and is free of any major disease or insect problems.

Shiny oblong green leaves open in early spring, followed by fragrant delicately arching white flowers that bloom on 3-4” long racemes in early summer. The real color display comes in fall when the leaves of ‘Little Henry’ turn an exquisite blend of orange, crimson, and burgundy. The leaves hold their fall color well into December, with some plants keeping their leaf coverage well into the following year if placed in a well-protected site. ‘Little Henry’ prefers full to part sun, a soil slightly acidic with high organic matter, and has minimal water requirements once established. It shows great adaptability handling clay or sandy soils, and can withstand moist, soggy, or dry soil conditions.

‘Little Henry’ is best used massed in mixed borders, on riverbanks or hillsides for erosion control, and in naturalized garden settings. I’ve used it extensively on hillside plantings massing it with pockets of Blue Rug Juniper that compliments ‘Little Henrys’ maroon fall color beautifully. It is also being increasingly used in urban planting beds along road sides and sidewalks, which seems to be a good indication of its proven versatility in the landscape. For a low maintenance and highly adaptable shrub with fragrant flowers and brilliant long lasting fall foliage, ‘Little Henry’ should be at the top of your planting list this autumn.

- James McLoughlin

Featured
Plant Profile

Itea Virginica,

‘Little Henry’

Rooted in tradition since 1975

Rooted in tradition since 1975