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Calycanthaceae
Carolina Allspice
Calycanthus floridus
Benevolence and sweetness.
- Family
- Calycanthaceae
- Genus
- Calycanthus
- Native to
- Southeastern United States
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- deciduous shrub
- Height
- 6-10 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Rich, moist, well-drained soil
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 4-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The dark reddish-brown flowers emit a fruity fragrance variously described as strawberry, pineapple, banana, or bubblegum.
- Crushing any part of the plant releases an intense spicy-sweet scent, which is why it is called allspice or sweetshrub.
- The flowers have no true petals or sepals but instead have tepals, transitional structures that blur the line between the two.
- Carolina allspice is one of only a few native North American species in its ancient family, which dates back to the Cretaceous period.
- The seeds contain calycanthine, a compound related to strychnine that makes them toxic if ingested in quantity.
Color meanings
0
benevolence
1
compassion
2
sweetness