Calycanthus floridus (Eastern Sweetshrub)

Calycanthus floridus is commonly known as Eastern Sweetshrub or Carolina Allspice. In the south an old nickname for this shrub is Sweet Bubby, or Bubbie. A handsome deciduous shrub prized for its often fragrant, wine-red to burgundy flowers that appear in late spring and early summer.

Specimens have varying degrees of floral scent, some strongly scented and others less so. The smell ranges between a tropical—sometimes compared to strawberries, bananas, or pineapple—to an aroma similar to cider vinegar. The fruity scent is an adaption this plant has to attract beetles which pollinate its flowers, rather than bees, similar to Calycanthus cousins: Magnolias, Paw-paws, and Tulip Poplars.

The glossy green leaves turn gold-yellow in fall, and the shrub’s natural suckering habit allows it to slowly spread into attractive thickets. It thrives in rich, moist soils along woodland edges and streambanks but adapts well to garden settings.

Its ability to naturalize in shaded, moist habitats makes it a useful shrub for erosion control and wildlife plantings, while its ornamental qualities—unique blooms, fragrance, and foliage—ensure its place in both naturalistic and cultivated landscapes.