Bloomipedia
Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Photo: Grant Foster via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Virginia sweetspire

Itea virginica

Native in the lower 48

Virginia sweetspire is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

20states
3of our state lists
7,180U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina

Quick look

Itea virginica, commonly known as Virginia willow or Virginia sweetspire, is a small North American flowering shrub that grows in low-lying woods and wetland margins. Virginia willow is a member of the Iteaceae family, and native to the southeast United States. Itea virginica has small flowers on pendulous racemes.

  • It belongs to the Iteaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 20 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. NatureServe
  • In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. iNaturalist
  • In Alabama, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 10 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 1,130 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #77 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 670 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #89 among the 111 flowers on our Alabama list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 472 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #79 among the 111 flowers on our South Carolina list. iNaturalist

Virginia sweetspire gift ideas

Handmade virginia sweetspire gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Virginia sweetspire art print

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    Virginia sweetspire greeting card

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    Virginia sweetspire mug

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    Virginia sweetspire earrings

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    Virginia sweetspire embroidery pattern

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    Virginia sweetspire sticker

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (487 records)
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
GeorgiaNativeMarch–June1,130
AlabamaNativeApril–May670
South CarolinaNativeApril–May472

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
Georgia
Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
South Carolina
No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IN (S1), OK (S1), PA (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Virginia sweetspire in 20 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia; District of Columbia.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Baker, Baldwin, Bartow, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bulloch, Candler, Carroll, Catoosa, Charlton, Chatham, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coffee, Cook, Crisp, Dade, DeKalb, Decatur, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Fannin, Forsyth, Grady, Harris, Heard, Irwin, Jackson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, McDuffie, McIntosh, Miller, Morgan, Muscogee, Oconee, Pike, Rabun, Screven, Spalding, Stephens, Sumter, Tattnall, Terrell, Tift, Turner, Walker, Ware, Wayne, Wilkes.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Lamar, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington, Wilcox, Winston.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Aiken, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Edgefield, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marlboro, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Sumter, Williamsburg.

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Sources