Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice'

Search PlantFinder Names

Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' Plant of Merit

(4 ratings) --- Rate this plant / Read comments

Kemper Code: C299

Common Name: sweet pepperbush
Zone: 4 to 8
Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
Family: Clethraceae
Missouri Native: No
Native Range: None
Height: 4 to 6 feet
Spread: 3 to 5 feet
Bloom Time: July - August
Bloom Color: Rose pink
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Low

Plant Culture and Characteristics

Sources for this plant

View our source(s)

High resolution image available.

Uses:		Wildlife:	Flowers:	Leaves:	Fruit:
Hedge	Suitable as annual	Attracts birds	Has showy flowers	Leaves colorful	Has showy fruit
Shade tree	Culinary herb	Attracts	Has fragrant flowers	Leaves fragrant	Fruit edible
Street tree	Vegetable	hummingbirds	Flowers not showy	Good fall color	Other:
Flowering tree	Water garden plant	Attracts	Good cut flower	Evergreen	Winter interest
Gr. cover (<1')	Will naturalize	butterflies	Good dried flower		Thorns or spines

General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers part shade and consistently moist, acidic, sandy soils. Soils should not be allowed to dry out. Tolerates clay soils. Tolerates full shade. Promptly remove root suckers unless naturalized look is desired. Propagate by cuttings.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

‘Ruby Spice’ is a summersweet cultivar that is most noted for its fragrant rose-pink flowers that bloom in late summer. It was discovered in 1992 as a sport of C. alnifolia ‘Pink Spire’ (see V440 herein). It is a densely-branched, rounded, suckering, deciduous shrub that typically grows 4-6’ (less frequently to 8’) tall and features narrow, cylindrical, bottlebrush-like, terminal panicles (racemes to 6” long) of extremely fragrant rose pink flowers that bloom on the current year’s growth for approximately 4-6 weeks in July and August. Serrate, obovate, dark green leaves (to 4” long) turn a variable but generally attractive yellow/golden brown in fall. Flowers give way to dark brown seed capsules that may persist well into winter. Flowers are very attractive to butterflies and bees. Summersweets are somewhat unique among late summer-flowering shrubs because of their ability to bloom in shady locations.

Problems:

No serious insect or disease problems.

Uses:

Mass or group in lawns, foundations or shrub borders. Good flowering shrub for shade or woodland gardens. Also appropriate for moist soils along stream banks or pond/water garden peripheries. Also may be naturalized in cottage gardens, wild gardens or naturalized areas. Plant near a patio to enjoy the fragrant late summer bloom.