Is anyone growing this as a landscape plant near fruit plants? Anyone seen an uptick in beetle issues? I planted two the year before I started planting Berry bushes and fruit trees. I have LOTS of strawberries within 50’ of each bush. I was simply looking for neat native bushes at the time and didn’t think to investigate the main pollinator- sap beetles. Well, now it’s blooming and my first thought was- AMAZING - second thought, what on earth could pollinate this. Ugh- sap beetles. Seems idiotic to keep this adjacent and close to countless berry plants (goose, currant, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry and fruit trees). Anyone with experience have thoughts on this?
Here a branch yesterday morning before the flowers fully opened. It’s super cool and the smell is so unique and lovely. Both are about 5-6’ tall. One is in maybe 3 hrs morning sun and then shade and the other has 4 hours or so of afternoon sun. The shade one is back property line the furthest from any fruit trees and plants, but that’s still only maybe 30’.
My Mom & grandmothers always had sweetshrub somewhere in the landscape. I have one at the lakehouse, but not here on the farm. We had a friend in town who had a yellow-flowered selection… I’m thinking there is a least one, ‘Athens’, (IIRC, named for the town in GA where it was discovered), yellow-flowered selection with good fragrance.
Some random selections out there in circulation do not have great fragrance. The one I have was purchased at TSC, and I’m not sure that I’ve been at the lakehouse when it was in bloom to assess it.
Great description. The flowers really do smell so unique. It’s some sort of strawberry tutti fruitti tropical. And the fall yellow is very pretty. I’m a little sad to part with them, but they’ll be at my parents house nearby for everyone to continue enjoying.
