Calycanthus × 'Aphrodite'
Common name:
Aphrodite Sweetshrub
Pronunciation:
kal-i-KAN-thus
Family:
Calycanthaceae
Genus:
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Broadleaf, deciduous shrub, to 4 ft tall and 6 ft wide, with a rounded form. Leaves are opposite, elliptical, about 14 cm long by 7 cm wide, upper surface is glossy yellow-green, the margin is entire; fall color is yellow to golden brown. Flowers are large, pruple-red, magnolia-like, with 26-30 whorled tepals ("petals'), a ring of yellow is formed from the apesis of the inner tepals; flowers have a light fruity or melon-like fragrance (see below) and are prominently displayed above the foliage, the bloom period may last several months.
- Partial to full sun, needs regular watering, weekly, or more ofter in extreme heat. Reportedly deer resistant.
- Hardy to USDA Zone 5 Developed by Thomas Ranney, North Carolina State University, from a cross between Calycanthus chinensis and Calycanthus occidentalis, the resulting selected hybrid ('Aphrodite') was vegetatively propagated in 2005 by rooting stem cuttings. US Plant Patent 24,014, Nov. 5, 2013
- Here is what one nursery said about detecting the flower's fragrance. It depends. "The scent varies based on the age of the bloom, the time of day, and the flower itself. Some people say they smell like pineapple, others apples, others bubblegum, and some get no scent at all".
Click image to enlarge
-
plant habit, flowering
-
leaves and flowers
-
flower
-
leaves
