Clethra alnifolia
Summersweet Clethra
Eastern US, Maine south to Florida
Oval, dense shrubs. Can sucker to form colonies
Grows in wetplances, in partial shade to full sun. Very user-friendly plant
Good for a shrub border in both shady and wet conditions. Fragrant summer flowers.
Dark green in summer, yellow or golden brown fall color.
Buds are small and loosely scaled.
Mature stems have scaly, dark gray to brown black bark.
Pinkish whie
Brown seed capsules (.125 in diameter) which may persist into winter.
'Anne Bidwell' - The inflorescences are multi-branched, tightly clustered and irregular in shape.
'Compacta' - Grows 3 to 4 feet tall and produces lustrous dark green foliage and terminal and axillary inflorescences.
'Hummingbird' - Grows 30 to 40 feet high, lustrous black-green leaves, fall color is golden yellow.
