Calycanthus floridus var. purpureus Burgundy Spice- Sweetshrub

Calycanthus floridus 'Burgundy Spice' is a variety of shrub sometimes known as the strawberry bush or spicebush, which comes from the southeastern United States. It is distinguished by its particularly dark, shiny, and decorative foliage, which retains its beautiful colour even under the summer sun. This deciduous shrub also offers an original flowering with a delightful fruity fragrance. In the second half of spring, its dark red flowers with numerous long, narrow, and spread-out sepals appear directly on the branches. With a medium size and graceful habit, it will enhance a free hedge or make a lovely specimen in a small garden. Hardy, it thrives in fresh, deep, well-drained, rich, and lime-free soil.

Calycanthus floridus var. purpureus 'Burgundy Spice' is a deciduous shrub from the Calycanthaceae family. The botanical species, with green foliage, is native to the eastern coast of the United States and was introduced to Europe in 1806. 'Burgundy Spice' was selected in New Jersey, USA. The shrub has a very loose, bushy habit and reaches maturity, at the age of 5-6 years, with an average size of 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in all directions. Its slightly stiff branches bear leaves that are 7 to 13 cm (2.8 to 5.1 in) long, ovate, slightly fuzzy, shiny on the upper side, and lighter on the underside. They turn yellow, amber, and orange in autumn before falling. Flowering takes place in May-June. The original cup-shaped flowers have wide corollas of a burgundy-red colour flushed with orange, with distinct lanceolate petaloid sepals arranged in spirals. The flower's centre is occupied by purple stamens. The fragrance of the flowers evokes, according to observers, strawberries, mangoes, and pineapples, with a spicy note. The fruits resemble small elongated hazelnuts and are contained in curious small brown, fuzzy pouches. Its seeds are toxic and should be kept away from children and animals.

This 'Burgundy Spice' purple calycanthus is of great ornamental value. It can be used, according to each gardener's desires and depending on the available space, as a standalone subject, in a free countryside hedge, or in a large bed mixing perennials and small shrubs. The fragrance and beauty of the flowers can be better enjoyed near a pathway or not far from the terrace. To accompany it, one can choose, for example, variegated dogwoods, shrubby peonies, the pheasant tree, a golden ninebark, a Neillia splendens, and so on.

Calycanthus flowers resemble those of anemones in size and shape. But the fragrance is quite different as it is reminiscent of strawberries, which is what gave rise to the English name, "strawberry bush".