Chinese Itea. In my opinion, this is the most showy of all of the Iteas in flower. Here in the South, this is a great evergreen. The leaves are 4-6" long and are a glossy green, but one of the more ornamental characteristics of this species is that the new growth is a soft whitish-green. These are followed by showy 4-5" spikes of white flowers produced in almost every leaf axil of the previous years growth. Truly an impressive sight. It can easily reach 6-10' in height, but in its native China, it is reported to get upwards of 30'. Don't expect anything like that in your and my lifetimes. It seems to be happiest when grown in filtered sun or morning sun and afternoon shade with good drainage and uniform moisture.
Zones 7-9
