Calycanthus “Aphrodite” has large shiny leaves, grows fast in part shade, flowers by the Fourth of July and has a fragrance like sweet apples. The Olympian The first part of July is your inspiration ... You've found it in Aphrodite' calycanthus!

Understanding the Context

Covered in big, glossy leaves, this calycanthus flowering shrub explodes with enormous cupped flowers that look a bit like a deep red magnolia. They start in early summer and continue through the season - in cooler areas, like our West Michigan trial garden, they bloom all summer long. Valued for the sweet, fruity fragrance of its flowers, Calycanthus 'Aphrodite' (Sweetshrub) is a compact, dense, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub boasting large, fragrant, deep red flowers, 4 in. across (10 cm).

Key Insights

Hardy to USDA Zone 5 Developed by Thomas Ranney, North Carolina State University, from a cross between Calycanthus chinensis and Calycanthus occidentalis, the resulting selected hybrid ('Aphrodite') was vegetatively propagated in 2005 by rooting stem cuttings. Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’ has beautiful magenta red flowers resembling those of a magnolia. The flowers are fragrant and the large, glossy leaves add flair to the plant. ‘Aphrodite’ produces large, showy flowers in springtime. They are a brighter, larger and a clearer red than those of Carolina allspice and the tepals are broader and more rounded.

Final Thoughts

'Aphrodite' Sweetshrub is covered in big, glossy leaves with enormous, cupped flowers that look a bit like a deep red magnolia. They start in early summer and continue through the season. The scent varies based on the age of the bloom, the time of day, and the flower itself. Aphrodite produces its large, superbly fragrant, strawberry-scented, Magnolia-like flowers in spring and again in summer to fall! This native will grow in sun or shade and is ignored by deer but loved by butterflies.