Other Names:  White Almond Bush, Tree Verbena

Description:

An upright shrub with slightly weeping branch tips; can be trained as a small tree in warmer climates; long blooming, fragrant white flower spikes appear from early spring through summer, over fine textured gray-green foliage; great along walkways

Ornamental Features

Sweet Almond Bush features delicate spikes of fragrant white bell-shaped flowers at the ends of the branches from early spring to late summer. Its serrated oval leaves remain grayish green in color throughout the year. It produces brown capsules from mid summer to mid fall.

Landscape Attributes

Sweet Almond Bush is a multi-stemmed evergreen perennial with a rounded form and gracefully weeping foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Sweet Almond Bush is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Sweet Almond Bush will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. Although it is technically a woody plant, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as a perennial in our climate if planted outdoors over the winter, usually regrowing from its base (crown) the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat. This is a dioecious species, meaning that individual plants are either male or female. Only the females will produce fruit, and a male variety of the same species is required nearby as a pollinator.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is not originally from North America..

Sweet Almond Bush is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.