Virginia Sweetspire – Native Plant of the Day 06/05/2017
Photo from 05/29/2009. Location: Lula Lake, Walker County, GA.
More photos / info at the Itea virginica detail page.
Virginia Sweetspire, Virginia Willow, Tassel-white – Itea virginica
On Friday, 11/23, I was planning for a potential visit to Virgin Falls in February and I ran across information that Virginia Spiraea – Spiraea virginiana – one of the rarest shrubs in North America, is found there. A bit more time on Google quickly revealed that Virginia Spiraea is also found along Rock Creek at Lula Lake, and I got pretty excited. Lula Lake is on Lookout Mountain just above the valley where I live south of Chattanooga. Found the Lula Lake Land Trust on Facebook, and lo and behold, there was a picture of a gentleman looking at their Virginia Spiraea posted only a couple of days earlier, and a notice that the property would be open today, Saturday. OK, there are now some tentative plans for Saturday.
Lula Lake and Upper Falls
Virginia Sweetspire, a native species, has been added to the USWildflowers database. Scientific name is Itea virginica. This plant also also goes by the common names Virginia Willow and Tassel-white.
Virginia Sweetspire - Itea virginica