Virginia sweetpire shrubs are usually grown by most of the gardeners not only for their blossoms but also for the colorful foliage it has. The outstanding feature of Virginia sweetpire is the burgundy color of their autumn leaves and the cultivar name ‘Merlot’ suggests this particular nature of the plant. They do bear numerous flower heads and which is a nice bonus for landscapers who love colors. During many a property inspection Sydney property inspection experts have found out that most of the people are attracted by the colorful foliage of this plant and wish to grow them in their yard. Itea virginica is the scientific name of the plant.

Virginia sweetpire forms a dense mass of leaves, and therefore these bushes are very much effective in shrub borders or foundation plantings. This plant is also better to be used in woodland gardens because it is an understory plant in the wild and it naturalizes easily in the landscape. But there is an issue that with excessive shade you will need to sacrifice some color. These plants are excellent remedy for erosion control because of the attribute of root suckering though some may find it a nuisance at other occasions. You need to water these plants when they are young in order to get them established. After it gets established they are drought tolerant plants. Also, if you do not need the plant to spread much, you should be careful with the root suckering. The bush usually blooms on old wood but in winter it so happens unfortunately that several inches of the bush dieback on the tops of the branches and turns a tannish color.