Cyrilla racemiflora: a pollinator-friendly shrub with untapped potential for wholesale nurseries

Thirty years past, I established a trial of Cyrilla species and cultivars at the University of Georgia and added C. racemiflora to our garden. I thought there might be a place for this native species in commerce, but even today it is not well represented. C. racemiflora, the only species in the Cyrillaceae legitimized by GRIN Taxonomy, is wild, woolly, unkempt and suckering. Additionally, it reaches gargantuan size, the National Champion is 47 feet high and 30 feet wide.

People often ask what the next transformational nursery and garden shrub is. Our industry fully embraced Distylium, Loropetalum, Knock Out roses, reblooming azaleas and remontant hydrangeas. With the current momentum favoring pollinator plants, a review of Cyrilla might encourage the industry to consider this shrub. The impetus for advancing Cyrilla was a 2024 lecture by Ted Stephens, owner, Nurseries Caroliniana, in which he discussed ‘Tom Patrick’, a witch’s broom selection with compact habit and remarkably abundant and beautiful flowers.

C. racemiflora (swamp titi, titi, leatherwood, black titi and red titi) grows in pocosins, swamps, lake and flatwood pond margins, streambanks, and pine flat woods from eastern Virginia to Texas (also central America), concentrated in the coastal plain although occurring in the piedmont, according to the Flora of the Southeastern United States 2024 (fsus.ncbg.unc.edu). In the Okefenokee Swamp, Bonnie and I noticed it along the waterways in late December, the leaves mottled green and red.

Habit, as mentioned above, develops sprawling and spreading branches in a wild hair day configuration. However, the contorted, twisted, spiraled stems are beautiful, the bark handsome smooth brown. I listed landscape size in the range of 10 to 15 feet in height in the Manual but know it can grow much larger.

Foliage is lustrous dark green, averages 1.5 to 4 inches long, evergreen to deciduous, the older leaves turning orange and scarlet in fall. Plants have remained evergreen in Athens but usually lose a percentage of the foliage. To my knowledge, no serious insects or diseases have been reported.

Flowers in slender 3 to 6 inches long, ½ to ¾ inch diameter racemes, arrive in June-July in horizontal whorls from the base of the current season’s growth. Each flower is five-petaled, 1⁄5 inch diameter, fragrant and white. Flower effect is long lasting and extended by the ½ inch long dehiscent, yellow to brown capsule fruits which persist into winter. Bees and butterflies prize the species as the flowers provide bountiful nectar.

Obviously, the species prefers moist to wet soil conditions, full sun to part shade. Container-grown plants are readily transplanted. Seeds can be directly sown, and cuttings are easily rooted. Cuttings of ‘Tom Patrick,’ taken May 24, 2024, treated with Root Gel, bark-perlite medium, bottom heat, mist, rooted July 2, 2024. Root Gel contains 0.216% IBA and 0.027% NAA in a gel. With Root Gel, I have experienced excellent rooting results with a wide range of species.

Cultivars

‘Argyle’ reached 6 feet by 8 feet after six years in Georgia trials. Habit was more open than ‘Kristi’. Flowers were similar to the species. Thirty percent leaf retention into early March. The mature interior leaves developed rich, red fall color in December.

‘Graniteville’ was smaller than the species with similar flowers and wild branch structure. JC Raulston Arboretum shows a rather open shrub, about 3 feet high and 3 feet wide.

‘Kristi’ was 6 feet by 6 feet after six years, more compact than the species, with 30% leaf retention in early March.

‘Tom Patrick’ may open the door to future selections. Habit is compact, leaves lustrous dark green, 1 inch long, ¼ inch wide, apex acute, base cuneate, margin entire, interior leaves developing red fall color (November in Athens), 5 feet high and 5 feet wide. The leaves appear whorled and densely clothe the light brown stems; leaves spaced ⅛ to ¼ inches along the stem. Result of a witch’s broom found by Ron Determann, Atlanta Botanical Garden and the late Tom Patrick, head botanist, Georgia Department of Natural Resources. A photo shows the flowers completely shrouding the foliage. Plant Delights Nursery (plantdelights.com) listed adaptability from Zone 5a to 10b.

Other species

Flora of the Southeastern United States and GRIN do not legitimize C. arida or C. parvifolia. However, those listed below differ from C. racemiflora.

C. arida, arid cyrilla, was (re)discovered by Bob McCartney, Woodlanders, Aiken, South Carolina, in desert like scrub habitat in Highlands County, Florida, growing in deep sandy soil conditions. Requires good drainage under cultivation but is quite adaptable. Wispy, beautiful, prolific flowering evergreen shrub which grew 4 feet by 4 feet in seven years in Georgia trials. Maintained 30% green leaves in early March. Atlanta Botanical Garden grew plants for many years. There, a 10 foot high plant was in full flower in late June. It has the explosive flower power of the species decorating a small statured framework. The plant may be extinct in the wild but is now well established in cultivation. Rated Zone 6 to 10 by Nurseries Caroliniana and available from the company.

C. parvifolia, small cyrilla, was merged with C. racemiflora. Listed as smaller than the species and found from Florida to Louisiana. As I observed the plant, foliage is sparse and not as handsome as big sister’s. Ted Stephen’s mentioned that small, containerized plants of this species do not flower as heavily as C. arida.

Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of Nursery Management or GIE Media.