{"product_id":"sweetshrub-calycanthus-floridus","title":"Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)","description":"\u003ch2\u003eSweetshrub \u003cem\u003e(Calycanthus floridus)\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSweetshrub is one of the most fragrant native shrubs of the American South — a woodland understory plant whose burgundy-red flowers carry a complex scent variously described as strawberry, banana, pineapple, and spice. It has been cultivated in Southern gardens since colonial times, yet remains deeply connected to the wild bottomland forests and stream banks of Louisiana.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBotanical Profile\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c\/strong\u003e Calycanthaceae (Sweetshrub family)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e Southeastern United States from Virginia to Florida and west to Mississippi; native to Louisiana bottomland forests and stream banks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4–9\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMature Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 6–12 feet tall and wide\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e April–June\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Part shade to full shade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moist, rich, well-drained; tolerates clay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eTraditional Uses\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSweetshrub bark and roots were used medicinally by Cherokee and other Southeastern Indigenous peoples as a stimulant and to treat fever and stomach ailments. The fragrant bark was used as a spice and perfume. Early American settlers placed dried flowers and bark in sachets to scent linens and repel insects.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEcological Role\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSweetshrub flowers are pollinated by beetles — a primitive pollination strategy that predates bees. It provides dense nesting cover for woodland birds and its seeds are consumed by small mammals. It spreads by root suckers to form thickets that stabilize stream banks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eIn the Cajun Healing Garden\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart of the \u003cem\u003eJardin — The Healing Garden\u003c\/em\u003e collection at Big Mamou Enterprises, Sweetshrub is a plant of extraordinary fragrance and deep Southern heritage — a living connection to the forests that shaped Louisiana culture.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Mamou Enterprises","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49769042739440,"sku":null,"price":3.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0824\/7171\/5056\/files\/sweetshrub-calycanthus-floridus.png?v=1779907082","url":"https:\/\/realtimecajun.com\/products\/sweetshrub-calycanthus-floridus","provider":"Big Mamou Enterprises","version":"1.0","type":"link"}