Clethra alnifolia -Summersweet Clethra, Summersweet, Clethra, or Sweet Pepper Bush (Clethraceae) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Clethra alnifolia is known as a summer-flowering Fruits shrub that readily naturalizes in the border or makes a -fruiting stalks noticeable, winter persistent, and a good foundation shrub. Summersweet Clethra is good ID feature, but not ornamental excellent for wet sites in partial shade. Twigs -light brown to tan, ascending as several stems that FEATURES are sparsely-branched at the base, but having Form numerous lateral shoots at the very apex of the new -medium-sized growth ornamental shrub -shrubs become leggy with age, and often die back at -maturing at about 6' tall the apical stem tips in winter x 5' wide, forming tight Trunk colonies with age -not applicable (however, the increasingly predominant USAGE cultivar 'Hummingbird' is Function half this size) -specimen, foundation, group planting, border, or -upright oval growth habit ('Hummingbird' has a naturalizing shrub spreading mound growth habit) Texture -slow growth rate -medium texture in foliage and when bare Culture -thick density in foliage and average when bare -full sun to full shade Assets -best performance occurs in partial sun to partial -fragrant, fine-textured inflorescences occur in mid- shade in moist to wet, acidic, fertile, organic soils, summer and attract many butterflies but it is rather adaptable to a wide range of -tolerant of permanently moist to continuously wet conditions, including sunny sites, occasionally dry sites soils, soils of average fertility, soils of various pH, -winter salt spray tolerant and winter salt spray Liabilities -cultivars are propagated by rooted cuttings, but the -legginess occurs with age species form may also be propagated by seeds -root suckering with advanced age forms small -White Alder Family, with no significant diseases or colonies (this can be an asset if naturalization or pests moderate erosion control is desired) -often suckers with age to form tight colonies (which Habitat is good for naturalized situations) -Zones 3 to 9 Foliage -Native to the Eastern U.S. -medium to dark green, alternate, obovate, serrated, and somewhat late to leaf out SELECTIONS -autumn color is usually a clear golden-yellow and Alternates persists for 2-4 -summer-flowering shrubs (Buddleia davidii, weeks Caryopteris x clandonensis, Itea virginica, Flowers Hydrangea species, Philadelphus species, etc.) -white, shell -wet site tolerant shrubs (Cornus [shrub forms], pink, or light Hamamelis vernalis, Itea virginica, Myrica pink, blooming pensylvanica, Salix purpurea, etc.) anytime from -flowering shrubs for shady spots (Calycanthus late July to early floridus, Fothergilla gardenii, Hydrangea species, Sept. and lasting Itea virginica, Pieris japonica, Rhododendron for about 3 [including Azaleas], etc.) weeks when in Cultivars – Variants – Related species bloom -C. alnifolia 'Hummingbird' - the introduction that -inflorescences has revolutionized this genus, being a truly compact are fragrant, fine- and spreading form that is much less leggy, slowly textured, upright, maturing at 3' x 3', with twice as many inflorescences about 4" long x as the species form, and with the inflorescences much 0.75" wide, and more densely arranged in the smaller canopy bottlebrush-like -C. alnifolia 'Pink Spire' - inflorescences that are red- in appearance, pink in bud, opening as a light pink color and not attracting butterflies, bees and hummingbirds fading -inflorescences occur on the new growth of the -C. alnifolia 'Rosea' - inflorescences that are pink in current season bud, opening as a shell pink color and fading quickly to off-white, becoming less common in commerce.