This suckering deciduous shrub is native to eastern North America where it may form dense colonies in moist to wet areas in woodlands and along the sea coast from Maine to Florida. The mid- to dark green leaves are 1.5-4″ long, leaf out late, and change to golden yellow in the fall, providing additional color for two to four weeks. The small fragrant white to pink flowers are carried in four inch long bottlebrush-like terminal racemes in mid- to late summer and last about three to six weeks. The flowers are attractive to butterflies and bees and give way to seed capsules that persist into winter and provide food for birds. In winter without its leaves, the shrub is neat and attractive with a medium texture. Although sweet pepperbush prefers fertile, moist, acidic soil and part shade it tolerates dry to wet soil, full sun to full shade, and salt spray so is a valuable shrub for difficult sites. It tends to sucker and get leggy with age but these problems can be solved by removing the suckers and heavy pruning to encourage compactness. A good choice for a foundation planting, border, hedge, specimen, naturalizing, as well as for use in woodland, rain, wildlife, butterfly, pollinator, fragrance, native plant and seaside 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, alnifolia, is from the Latin words alnus, meaning alder, and folium meaning leaf, and again refers to the resemblance of the leaves to those of alders.
Type: Flowering deciduous shrub
Outstanding Feature: Fragrant, bottlebrush-like flowers; autumn coloration
Form: Upright, oval
Growth Rate: Slow
Bloom: White to pink small flowers in dense racemes 4” long in mid- to late summer lasting three to six weeks.
Size: 3-6’ H x 5’ W
Light: Full sun to full shade
Soil: Fertile, moist, acidic but tolerates less
Hardiness: Zones 4-8
Care: Prune to maintain compactness and remove winter kill in late winter (flowers on new growth).
Pests and Diseases: None of significance
Propagation: Seed; division of suckers in spring; layering in late autumn or early spring; semi-ripe cuttings; rot cuttings
Outstanding Selection:
‘Hummingbird’ (compact bush with white flowers)
‘Rosea’ (pink flowers)
‘Ruby Spice’ (rose pink, especially fragrant flowers)
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
