Sweet Almond Bush

Aloysia virgata

• Common Name: Sweet Almond Bush
  
• Scientific Name: Aloysia virgata (al-uh-WIZH-ee-uh) (vir-GA-tuh)
  
• Family Name: Verbenaceae
  
• Origin: Mexico and South America (Argentina)
  
• Height: 8’ – 15’
  
• Width: 8’
  
• Growth: vigorous fast growing fragrant shrub.   
  
• Zone: 8A - 11                                                                      
  
• Light Needs: Full sun to Partial Shade
  
• Salt Tolerance:  moderate
  
• Soil/PH/Texture: PH 5.6-7.8 (acidic - mildly alkaline) Consider providing a loose protective winter mulch in zone 8 to help ensure its survival and plant in spring or early summer to give small plants time to get established.
  
• Soil Moisture: These are the basic soil types and moisture levels where this plant will survive, not necessarily thrive. Drought resistant plants will need to be well-established, usually 2-3 years at a minimum, in the garden or landscape before they are able to withstand lengthy periods (weeks or months) without supplemental water. Most plants will grow and flower and or fruit best where they have ample moisture and nutrients available during the growing season. With that said, many plants, like prairie natives, are quite adaptable to soil types and can thrive in heavy clay as easily as a loose sandy loam.  provide plenty of sunlight, good drainage, and average moisture
  
• Drought Tolerance: Somewhat drought resistant once well-established. Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
  
• Pests/Diseases: unknown
  
• Growing Conditions: Grow outdoors year-round in hardiness zones. Low nutritional requirements.
  
• Characteristics: Flowers: White, Showy and Fragrant, Blooms late spring or early summer and late summer or early fall. Is an evergreen, shrub, perennial, Foliage: Herbaceous with a bronze coloring, sandpaper rounded leaves, can be a bush or tree.
  
• Propagation: Propogate by herbaceous stem cuttings or semi-hardwood cuttings or Stem Layering, spacing 36-48 in.
  
• Wildlife: Attracts Butterflies, Bees and Hummingbirds
  
• Facts: Intense fragrance of Sweet Almonds. Pollen may cause allergic reactions. Plant it with Sweet Olive, Gardenia, and Banana Magnolia to have outdoor fragrance nearly year round in zones 8-9. Confederate Jasmine uses holdfast roots to hold onto upright substrates for climbing. Confederate Jasmine is not a true jasmine in the genus Jasminum but gives of the fragrance of a jasmine.
  
• Designer Considerations: Can be a container plant-most suitable in a 3 gallon or larger. Mke sure to remove lower branches if wanting it to be a patio tree.
  

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Sweet Almond Bush