This handsome North American species is native from New Jersey south to Florida and Louisiana. It was introduced into cultivation in 1744 and was listed in Philadelphia nurseryman John Bartram’s catalogue of 1783.
Three years later, Jefferson, who was living in Paris at the time, requested Itea from both John Bartram, Jr. and Richard Cary of Virginia. Jefferson also included Itea virginica in his book, Notes on the State of Virginia. Its outstanding fall color is its greatest attribute, and a cultivar, ‘Henry’s Garnet’, received the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s award of merit.
Chronological Quotes
: Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) | 1744–1787
1744 – Earliest Cultivation in Colonial America
“Itea virginica was first introduced into cultivation in 1744, likely by botanists exploring the southeastern colonies, such as John Clayton and John Bartram.”
Though the precise record of introduction is indirect, this date appears in major botanical sources and signifies early colonial adoption of this native shrub.
Grimshaw, J. (1998). New Trees. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
1783 – Bartram’s Plant Catalogue
“Itea virginica” appeared in the plant catalogue issued by John Bartram, Jr. (1743–1812), a Philadelphia nurseryman and son of famed botanist John Bartram, Sr. (1699–1777). The Bartrams were foundational to early American botany and plant exportation to Europe.
Bartram’s listing confirms the commercial availability and cultural recognition of this native species among early American horticulturists.
4 May 1786 – Jefferson’s Letter to Richard Cary
Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), then Minister to France, wrote from Paris to Richard Cary (1739–1789) of Warwick County, Virginia, a Revolutionary patriot, member of the Committee of Safety, and Judge of the Admiralty Court.
“Knowing your fondness for Botany, and meeting with a new edition of Linnaeus’s Systema Vegetabilium in English... I procured one for you... I saw in the hands of Mr. Mazzei a list of flower roots and seeds which you had desired him to send you... Should you hereafter have any other wishes in this line you cannot oblige me more than by communicating them to me.”
This letter reveals Cary as both a scientific correspondent and a potential supplier of Itea virginica, reflecting Jefferson’s efforts to bridge colonial flora with European botanical circles.
1786 – Jefferson Requests Itea from John Bartram Jr.
In parallel, Jefferson also wrote to John Bartram, Jr., requesting native plants to be sent to him in Paris.
“I shall be much obliged to you to send me the following plants... Itea virginica among them. I mean to cultivate them in pots or boxes to preserve them for shipment.”
This marks a direct mention of Itea virginica as part of Jefferson’s botanical diplomacy.
1787 – Jefferson Includes Itea in Notes on the State of Virginia
Jefferson mentions the species in Notes on the State of Virginia, the first American book of natural history and science.
“Among the shrubs, we have the kalmia angustifolia, andromeda mariana, itea virginica, vaccinium arboreum...”
Here, he places Itea virginica among the most notable shrubs native to Virginia, cementing its place in early American botanical documentation.
Biographical Notes
Richard Cary (1739–1789)
A patriot and statesman from Warwick County, Virginia, Cary served in the Virginia militia during the Revolution, was a signatory to the Association of 1774, a member of the Committee of Safety, a delegate to the 1776 Virginia Convention, and Judge of the Admiralty Court. Jefferson considered him a trusted friend and botanical correspondent.
Daughters of the American Revolution Lineage Book, Entry A020257
John Bartram Sr. (1699–1777)
Celebrated as “the father of American botany,” he founded the first botanical garden in North America and corresponded with European naturalists like Linnaeus and Collinson.
John Bartram Jr. (1743–1812)
Nurseryman and plant exporter, he managed Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia and played a vital role in distributing American native plants abroad.
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