Carolina allspice

Questions about Carolina allspice

Does Carolina allspice need sun or shade?

Carolina allspice grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does Carolina allspice grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does Carolina allspice flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early May to late June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should Carolina allspice be planted?

6½ ft (200 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 8 ft (240 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 8 ft (240 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Carolina allspice plants do I need?

Usually one. At 6½ ft (200 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 6½ ft apart: two plants for a 10 ft run.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is Carolina allspice poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: moderate toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. The seeds are poisonous if eaten, and have poisoned grazing animals.

Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like Carolina allspice?

These come closest to doing what Carolina allspice does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Arrowwood viburnum: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late May to late June, white, not red.
• Red osier dogwood: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; white, not red, wants moist soil.
• Common ninebark: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late May to late June, white, not red.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat Carolina allspice?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will Carolina allspice spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by suckers into a wider clump. Remove the outer shoots to contain it.

What flowers after Carolina allspice?

Carolina allspice is over by late June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Hollyhock: from early July to late August, 6 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Delphinium: from late June to mid July, 5 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Hardy hibiscus: from late July to mid September, 5 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does Carolina allspice look like in winter?

Carolina allspice drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.

Is Carolina allspice good for bees and butterflies?

Carolina allspice is visited by pollinators and butterflies.

It is native to the United States.