Clethra Alnifolia

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Summersweet
Clethra alnifolia

Genus – Clethra
Species – Alnifolia
Bloom Season – Late July-Early Sept.

Zone Hardiness - 3-9
Plant Height - 3-8 ft
Plant Width - 3-6 ft
Bloom Size – 2” – 6”

Clethra Alnifolia is commonly known as summersweet or sweet pepperbush. The flowers look like a bottlebrush and are extremely fragrant with flowers that can be pink, dark pink or white depending on the variety. Clethra does well in partial sun to partial shade in moist, acidic, fertile and organic soils. Heavy pruning to remove winter kill will promote compact growth and rejuvenate the plant. Flowering occurs on the new growth with each season.

Clethra has a beautiful golden color in the fall. In the landscape, use it as a mass planting or along a woodland site along with Rhododendrons, Mt. Laurel, Leucothoe, Fothergilla, Hosta, Turtleheads, Ferns and Heucheras.

Here at Stratham Circle Nursery, we recommend Ruby Spice Summersweet. It is dark pink, extremely fragrant and sees to do very well in our area. We also like Sixteen Candles as the dwarf Summersweet with white flowers and stays at 3-4' by 3-4'. September Beauty is one of our favorites as it is a later bloomer than the rest, blooming in September.

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