Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Calycanthaceae

Genus:

Calycanthus

Species:

Calycanthus floridus

USDA Symbol:

CAFL22

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

300 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

maroon, brown, red

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fragrant:

Yes

Fall Color:

yellow

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from root crown following fire; found in fire-influenced woodland understories.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates moderate drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers organic matter-rich environments

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 90–120 days

Germination Time:

30–90 days

Notes:

Seeds may have double dormancy; warm stratification followed by cold may improve germination rates.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI