Spice bush

Calycanthus occidentalis

Description

Spice bush is a large deciduous shrub that is native to moist and shady habitats in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, north coast ranges and southern reaches of the Cascade range. It grows with a stiff branching habit reaching 8-10 ft. tall and as wide. Foliage is quite large and distinctive; leaves are deep green, rigid, 3-6 in. long and exude a spicy odor when crushed. Attractive maroon colored flowers accent the tips of the stems in spring.

This California native is widely adapted to shaded areas in Inland Empire gardens and is well suited to background and sloping areas where it provides bold and lush summer foliage character. It grows best in rich soils and regular summer water.

Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Foliage Character: Winter deciduous
Habit: Upright, Spreading, Mounding
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Medium green
Flower Color: Burgundy
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Moist soil, Loam, Clay, Acidic soil
Exposure Adaptations: Cold hardy, Morning sun, Moderate shade, Fog
Function: Screening, Residential spaces, Parks and open space, Foundations, Foliage accent plant, Flowering accent plant, Commercial spaces, Banks, Background plant, Fragrant foliage, Wildlife value
Height: 8 ft. – 10 ft.
Width: 8 ft. – 10 ft.

Watering Schedule: Medium

For most situations, we recommend watering once per week after establishment, watering very deeply in summer, less deeply in fall and spring, and even less in winter.

See our recommendations for how much water to apply each time you water, below. Note that these recommendations are intended for inland valley areas of Southern California including the Inland Empire, San Gabriel, and San Fernando Valleys. People in cooler or warmer areas may use this as a baseline but should adjust based on local needs.

Learn how to provide 1” of water to your landscape here, and adjust to provide more or less based on the recommendations above for each time of year.

Seasonal Watering Recommendations

June – August: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 1.25” of irrigation.
September – October: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.75” of irrigation.
November – February: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.5” of irrigation.
March-May: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.75” of irrigation.

Learn how to provide 1” of water to your landscape here, and adjust to provide more or less based on the recommendations above for each time of year.

Adjusting to your local needs

These recommendations for Medium / Moderate water demanding plants were created for Southern California inland valley areas. Southern California areas closer to the coast and along the coast will usually be able to water significantly less during the warm months of the year. For desert areas, check with local experts to be sure plants are appropriate for the area and anticipate needing to water more.

As a very general baseline, people in Los Angeles and similar areas can try setting a schedule of 80% of the in Spring, Summer, and Fall and adjust as necessary based on observation. The difference is less pronounced in the winter months, so we recommend starting with the same recommendations as above for winter. People in cooler coastal areas such as Santa Monica can try using this same approach but adjust to use 75% of the chart recommended minutes for the Spring, Summer, and Fall months.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another week, possibly longer. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering again.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.
“Smart timers” or weather sensitive irrigation controllers such as Rachio and Hunter Hydrawise are ideal for watering plants in this category because they will automatically adjust how much they water based on the weather so you do not need to reprogram the timer seasonally. Rebates for these types of irrigation controllers are available through socalwatersmart.com.

Prune when dormant in winter as needed, often just to remove crossing branches that will develop over time. Older unmaintained plants will be dense and overgrown and can be coppiced by cutting all the way to the ground around December – January (3). Calycanthus is a lovely plant, but will burn in summer direct sun in inland gardens. It’s not one of the easiest natives to keep looking good year round inland (S). References