Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’ – Carolina allspice

Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’  has larger flowers and leaves than the species.

The only other sweetshrub I’ve seen that compares to Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’ is Hartlage Wine, developed in the 1990’s by Dr. J.C. Raulston at North Carolina State University. It’s a credit to Dr. Raulston that he named the new cultivar after the student who hybridized it, Richard Hartlage. Then again, Dr. Raulston is a legend in the field of horticulture as much for what he gave as what he did.

Is Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’ another progeny of that fine university?

I did a patent search and sure enough Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’ is also a product of N.C. State. You can view the patent here. Apparently, JC Raulston Distinguished Professor Dr. Tom Ranney and his team have kept the flame alive.

The most striking visual feature of this cultivar is the large wine-colored flowers with yellow tepals. A tepal is when the sepals and petals are indistinguishable. Examples of plants with tepals are tulips, Lenten roses, and some lilies.

The flower form is reminiscent of some of our native magnolia species. It reminds me a bit of a purple-red Magnolia stellata. The flowers can reach 3″ across. Its largest bloom period comes in mid-May in Georgia. It will continue to produce a few flowers here and there throughout summer and early autumn.

The second thing I noticed was the plant tag identified this sweetshrub as the native Calycanthus floridus. This is incorrect.

Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’ is a hybrid between Calycanthus chinensis and Calycanthus occidentalis. One prominent national nursery includes ‘Aphrodite’ in its North American Native Collection. Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’ is not native, which is fine by me. It has many of the great qualities of our native sweetshrub.

Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’ is deer-resistant and easy to grow.

Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’ is a deciduous multi-stemmed shrub that grows 4′-8′ tall and is hardy zones 5-9. Growth habit is open but not sprawling, as the stems are robust. You may find it to be a fuller growing shrub in full sun. I prefer it with a more open character, so I tend to plant Calycanthus in shadier locations.

Fall color is good to excellent, a pleasant yellow-green.

Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’ is a woodland plant.

Every sweetshrub I’ve seen in the wild has been in dappled sunlight in wooded areas. I also know from direct experience sweetshrub will bloom in the shade. A perfect exposure would be morning sun and shade into late afternoon, an admittedly common theme with many of the plants I gravitate towards.

It is happiest in rich, well-drained soil. It likes moist soil although it does fine without supplemental watering in normal garden conditions once established.

In my experience, the Calycanthus hybrids grow at a steady rate best described as moderate. It certainly is not a slow grower. Conversely, it is not aggressive like hops. The native Calycanthus floridus is a more deliberate grower than the hybrids of N.C. State.

Prune Calycanthus after its first flush of flowering. Late June to early July would be an optimum time.