This deciduous shrub or small tree is native to western China and is a member of the small plant family Cletheracae that is distantly related to azaleas. The plant grows up to 15″ tall and has lanceolate leaves that are toothed, 2.5-6″ long, and dark blue green until turning orange to red in the fall. In summer, pink buds open to white bell-shaped flowers on dense, terminal, one-sided racemes 4-6″ long. The flowers are 1/2″ wide, fragrant, and attractive to butterfly and bees. Delavayi summersweet is valued for its fragrant flowers and is a good choice for beds and borders, as well as for woodland, water, pollinator, butterfly, fragrance, and woodland gardens. The genus name Clethra, , is from the Greek word klethra, meaning alder, and refers to the resemblance of the leaves to those of alders. The specific epithet, delavayi, honors Abbee Delavay (1838-1895) a French missionary in China who collected thousands of new plants there.
Type: Flowering deciduous shrub or small tree
Outstanding Feature: Flowers
Form: Erect
Growth Rate: Moderate
Bloom: Dense, terminal one sided racemes of white fragrant flowers in summer
Size: 10-15′ H (up to 40′ in the wild)
Light: Part shade to full sun
Soil: Fertile, consistently moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
Hardiness: Zones 6-10
Care: Prune when needed
Pests and Diseases: None of significance
Propagation: Seed, softwood cuttings
Outstanding Selections: None available
Photo Credit: peganum, Wikimedia Commons
Karen Meyers