Itea ilicifolia

Virginian willow

• Position: full sun to part shade
• Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: July to September
• Flower colour: greenish-white
• Hardiness: frost hardy (may need protection in winter)
  
  A spreading, evergreen shrub with spiny, glossy dark green, holly-like leaves, that can be used as either a free-standing shrub, or trained flat against a sunny, sheltered wall. In mid summer to early autumn, it is covered with long, drooping, catkin-like racemes of vanilla-fragranced, greenish-white flowers.
  
  
• Garden care: Protect from cold, drying winds and apply a generous layer of mulch around young plants in autumn. Trim back to tidy in the spring and provide support for wall-trained plants.