Itea ilicifolia

(Holly-leaf Sweetspire) An evergreen shrub native to Western China, Itea ilicifolia has dark green, glossy, holly-like leaves and long catkin-like, greenish-white flowers with a pleasing scent in mid-summer.

Rather lax in habit, this delightful shrub is most often grown and trained against a wall where the reflected heat encourages more flowers and better growth, although in warmer parts of the U.K., Itea ilicifolia grows to be a striking standalone plant.

Generally speaking Itea illicifolia is slow growing when young until the roots settle down and it picks up vigour and therefore not for instant gratification.