The sweet smell of Clethra alnifolia flowers should be arriving in gardens shortly. Just the single flower stem on our desk is powerful enough to smell from a few feet away. Commonly called summersweet, or sweet pepperbush, this native plant blooms in the later part of summer and is a magnet for bees. The variety we have in stock is called ‘Ruby Spice’ for the rich rose colored flowers. They are just starting to bloom now, and should last 4 to 6 weeks.

 

 

As a shrub clethra is a wonderful addition to the garden. It has a slow to medium growth rate, and will eventually reach 4 to 6 feet tall and about the same width. Clethra is prone to sending out suckers, so if you want the bush to keep a compact width, remove them promptly. They can tolerate sunny to shade conditions and prefer moist soils. In the fall deep green leaves change to rich yellow and brown. Compared to other flowering shrubs, clethra is handsome and clean in appearance, with few pest problems.