Whenever I see this
Calycanthus floridus shrub it reminds me of my mother. This native American shrub blooms for a short period the first two weeks of May and it has a gentle sweet fragrance. Our mother often told me when this little shrub was in bloom she would pick one of those little flowers on her way to school and tuck it in her pocket to use as a fragrant sachet for the day. This deciduous shrub is very easily grown in this area and tolerates deer and has no real insects or diseases that attack it. This native shrub offers pretty yellow foliage in the fall. We have one on the property of The Rosemary House that is about 60 years old so I would say it is a long lived plant. Also called Carolina Allspice, 'round here we call it Sweet Shrub or sometimes simply, "shrub". Can't get a much more common common name then that!
Thanks for featuring this wonderfully old-fashioned bush! It's one of the delightful memories I treasure from my beloved grandparents' farm, as they had many shrub bushes on their property. My grandmother taught me to hold one in my hand, warming it up as I held it. Just as your own mother did as a child, I remember the spicy sweet aroma. My own now-elderly parents have a bush as well, and I was walking around with a shrub bud in my hand just a week or two ago. Ah...sweet memories and generational connections! Nothing as wonderful! Blessings to you...XO
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I have ever seen one of the shrubs. I love the story of your mother tucking the blossom in her pocket. What a treat to have an old shrub on your property.
ReplyDeleteI remember being struck by a fragrant shrub a few years back and learning it was this one. Sweet fragrance indeed!
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