The spice bush is becoming more and more popular in German gardens. No wonder, because it not only smells wonderful, but is also easy to care for and hardy.
The spice bush, whose Latin name is Calycanthus floridus, is also known as the real spice bush. The German name of the plant is due to the characteristic smell of the shrub, which is composed of the scents of the bark, the wood and the flowers. In addition, the spice bush is also known as clove pepper and spice bush.
Appearance
The laurel-like herb can reach a height of up to three meters under ideal conditions. While the rich scent of cloves is a real asset to your own hobby garden, the shrub has stalked leaves that can grow up to twelve centimeters long. In the hobby garden, the spice shrub blooms beautifully in June and July with solitary flowers that attract everyone's attention with their dark red colour. While the upper side of the leaves is green, the underside of the leaves is characterized by dense hairs and a grey-green colour. The flowers of the spice bush have a diameter of up to five centimeters and exude an intense strawberry scent, which also contributes to the name of the spice bush.
The spice bush is native to the south-east of North America. There the plant is often found as an ornamental plant in gardens and parks. This type of use has also prevailed in this country - and has been since the 18th century. However, it should take much longer for the herb to be widespread in hobby gardens in this country. Because many hobby gardeners have only now discovered the plant, which smells like a mixture of strawberries and cloves. After all, the plant is quite easy to cultivate and planting in a bucket is not a problem either. In addition, the spice shrub is not only easy to care for, but even hardy, which makes it the ideal candidate for your own garden. After all, the ornamental plant is also very robust against many common fungal diseases and pests.
Caution:
Even if theThe pleasant scent of the herb can tempt some people to eat the plant, so it is better to refrain from doing so. Although there are some Native American peoples who have used the herb as a remedy for a variety of ailments and diseases, the seeds of the plant are highly toxic. The remaining components of the spice bush are also considered to be slightly toxic, which is why consuming the various components of the bush is strongly discouraged.
The ideal location for the spice bush
The ideal location for the spice bush is either sunny or light and partially shaded. On the other hand, if the location is too dark, the spice bush cannot develop its full bloom, so that the characteristic strawberry scent would be lost. Sufficient sun is equally important for the development of the clove scent.
The soil in which the herb is transplanted should ideally be loose and rich in humus. If the soil is too sandy, you can add compost and clay to the soil to provide the ideal growing conditions for the herb. The soil should also be sufficiently permeable to avoid waterlogging, which is harmful to the herb.
Plant the herb outdoors or in a flower pot?
The spice shrub makes an excellent specimen plant. The ornamental plant can be planted not only outdoors, but also as a container plant on the terrace. You should definitely keep in mind that the herb can reach a height of up to three meters. So choose your location wisely.
How to plant the spice bush correctly
The optimal planting time is either spring or late summer. Below are instructions for outdoor and container planting:
❍ Planting a spice bush outdoors:
❶ A few hours before planting the spice bush, the root ball should be allowed to take an extensive bath in water.
❷ In the meantime you can dig the planting hole. This should be around 65 percent larger than the plant ball of the spice bush. It is best to put a few pebbles in this. They then serve as a kind of drainage layer.
❸ It is best to mix the excavated soil with compost to provide the newly planted spice bush with sufficient nutrients. If the soil is very dry, you are welcome to enrich it with clay.
❹ Have you watered the root ball sufficientlythen place the plant up to its root neck in the previously dug and prepared planting hole. If you want to plant spice bushes as a group of several bushes, then you should keep a planting distance of a good 50 centimeters between the bushes.
❺Then add the substrate, press it down firmly and water everything well.
❍ Planting a spice bush in a bucket:
If the spice bush is to find a place in the bucket, it is important that the container is not only big enough, but also particularly stable. Clay pots are ideal in this context. They are not only UV-resistant, but also so solid that the pressure of the spice bush roots cannot damage them.
❶ A drainage layer is also essential when planting as a container plant. In addition to pebbles, you can also use small shards of clay to create these, which you simply place on the bottom of the bucket. In this way you can avoid the formation of harmful standing wetness.
❷ Conventional potting soil is completely sufficient as a substrate for planting the spice bush in a pot. However, you should enrich it with a little hummus to ensure a good supply of nutrients for the pleasantly scented ornamental plant.
❸ Especially in the first few days after planting, you should always provide the herb with enough water and therefore water it several times.
Suitable neighboring plants for the spice bush
The spice shrub is not only very good as a solitary plant in the garden. If you keep a sufficient minimum distance, the spice shrub also makes a very nice picture next to the following shrubs and perennials:
- Oleander/Rose Laurel
- Angel Trumpet
- Bleeding Heart
- various Calycanthus varieties
- Chinese spice bush
- Broad-leaved Spice Sage
- Chasteberry
How should the spice bush be fertilized and watered?
❍ Fertilize:
As already mentioned, this shrub is quite easy to care for. In spring and late summer, however, it makes sense to mulch the plant for optimal nutrient supply. It is best to mix large quantities of horn shavings or humus under the soil. But avoid over-fertilization, as this would not get the spice bush at all. The administration of liquid or long-term fertilizers is therefore not recommended, at least for aromatic shrubs that have been planted outdoors.The situation is different, however, when it comes to a container plant. Then you should regularly fertilize the shrub with the fertilizers just mentioned.
❍ casting:
The shrub loves sufficient moisture. You should therefore choose the soil conditions at the ideal planting site so that they can store small amounts of water. This helps prevent the root ball of the herb from drying out as quickly. Before watering, you should take your time to check how dry the substrate is at the moment. A noticeably dry top layer of soil is a good indication that it's time to water the herb again.
It is best to water the shrub in the early morning hours or late afternoon, as this will counteract any evaporation of the water caused by the hot midday sun. When watering, you should also keep in mind that waterlogging does not do the spice bush any good. In the worst case, the roots of the shrub can even rot if it is too wet, which could then lead to the ornamental plant dying.
When should the spice bush be repotted?
If you have planted the herb in a pot, it is important that you transplant the plant into a new, larger pot every two to three years. Otherwise the roots of the plant simply won't have enough space in the old flower pot. At the latest when this condition becomes apparent, it is time for transplanting. Here, too, spring is the ideal time. You should also repot the ornamental tree into a new, larger flower pot before the next budding.
Pruning of the spice bush
Early spring is a good time to cut back the spice bush. You should cut back the plant before the first sprouting. It makes sense if you completely remove all diseased and dead shoots. You should also cut out side shoots that grow crosswise and are already lignified.
In addition to thinning out, cutting back in height is also possible. If you want to shorten the spice bush, you should only shorten the plant by a few centimeters per year. Since the spice bush grows quite slowly, this does not have to be done every year. The pruning should not be too radical, as this could mean that the shrub will produce fewer flowers, which would be a shame in view of the pleasant strawberry scent.
Whether it is about cutting back or thinning out theYou should always use very sharp tools. You should clean them thoroughly both before and after you have finished gardening. This avoids frayed wound edges, which is important so that potential pathogens have less easy access to the inside of the spice bush. Disinfecting the tools after pruning also makes sense because germs and diseases cannot be spread to other garden plants in the first place.
How to properly overwinter the spice bush
In general, the spice shrub is considered a hardy plant. Provided that temperatures of -15 degrees Celsius do not prevail in the long term, the spice shrub is also up to this bitterly cold challenge outdoors. However, if the spice shrub was planted in a region that has to struggle with a particularly large number of cold winters, it definitely makes sense if the appropriate frost protection measures are taken. To do this, the herb must be completely covered with a protective fleece, while the ground around the herb should be covered with mulch. This is another antifreeze measure.
These precautionary measures should also be taken when it comes to young herb plants that you have just planted in the garden. Because the young plants have not yet been able to form as many roots and are therefore not as hardy and robust as an older spice bush. Do not remove the antifreeze until spring, when there is no longer any likelihood of permanent frost.
Spice shrubs that you have planted in a container can also overwinter indoors. A dry room with temperatures of no more than five degrees Celsius is ideal for this.
Possible pests and diseases of the spice bush
Fungus pathogens and insect pests usually avoid the spice bush. Only if the shrub is not sufficiently well cared for is it not very resistant and therefore susceptible to disease. Therefore, all care tips must be observed. Even if the spice bush is too dry for a short time, this does not have to be a major problem if you correct your mistake as soon as possible.
❍ Discoloration of leaves:
If discoloration of the leaves can be observed on young spice shrub plants, this is a clear indication of too much prolonged exposure to the sun. Even if the root ball is too dryor you have over-fertilized the herb, the leaves may turn either yellow or brown. Then it is important to check the substrate for possible dryness and to stop excessive fertilization of the spice bush for the time being until the plant has been able to recover from the excessive nutrient supply.
❍ Root Rot:
Incidentally, the so-called root rot is the only fungal infestation that can occur on the spice bush. However, this is only the case if the robust shrub is confronted with persistent waterlogging for too long. First, the roots decompose before the entire spice bush dies. If you notice such an infestation, it is important to immediately transplant the affected herb into dry substrate. Unfortunately, no other effective rescue measures are known. However, this problem can be avoided from the start by watering the herb regularly, but only with small amounts of water. Loosening the soil with pebbles can also help prevent harmful waterlogging from occurring in the first place.
How to propagate the spice bush?
The spice bush can be propagated in many different ways. For example, by propagating by seeds, by propagation by layering and by propagation by cuttings. Alternatively, you can also fall back on spice bush young plants from the local specialist trade.
Propagation by seeds:
❶ Propagation by seeds is possible from February, although this type of cultivation is best done on the windowsill at home. This requires a fairly lean substrate in which to press the seeds.
❷ It is best to cover the seed tray or the planter used with a transparent plastic film afterwards.
❸ In order for the spice bush to germinate even faster and better, not only warm temperatures but also quite high humidity are ideal. You must also always keep the substrate with the seeds sufficiently moist.
❹ Now you have to exercise a little patience, because the relocation of the spice bush seedlings outdoors or in a bucket is only possible from a height of 15 centimeters.
Important:
You should know that the seeds of the herb are extremely poisonous. Prolonged skin contact should therefore not only be avoided, you should also keep the seeds out of the reach of pets and children.
Propagation by cuttings:
Who, on the other hand, multiplies bycuttings, it is best to proceed as follows:
❶ In July, the spice bush is best propagated by cuttings. To do this, shorten the shoot tips, which are already half woody, to a length of a good 15 centimeters and completely remove the lower leaves of the shoot.
❷ Now place the cutting in a container that you have filled with a nutrient-rich substrate.
❸ A transparent plastic film is also recommended in this case. However, this should be perforated before it is placed over the cutting and the container.
❹ Then keep the whole thing sufficiently moist. High humidity and a bright and warm location are also important for the cuttings to thrive.
❺ It will now take about four weeks before you can see whether the propagation by cuttings was successful and the herb cuttings have formed new roots. By then the cutting should have new leaves and shoots.
When propagating by cuttings, it makes sense to always use several spice bush cuttings at once, as this project is not necessarily crowned with success. Even a special rooting powder, which is available in specialist shops and can be used to moisten the ends of the plant, cannot guarantee that the herb will propagate in any case.
Propagation by lowering:
❶ If you want to propagate the spice bush using layering, you should choose a fairly young side shoot of the spice bush, which you lead to the ground.
❷ Then press this firmly in the middle of the substrate and possibly weigh it down with a stone. However, the top end should still stick out of the ground.
❸ Make sure you always have enough moisture.
❹ It can take several months for these spice bush reducers to form enough new roots. You can only separate the spice bush and the sinker from each other once the rooting has been successful.