Shrubs & garden character · Western North Carolina field companion

Ruby Spice summersweet

Clethra alnifolia

Fragrant pollinator shrub for moist acidic soil; spreads slowly by suckers.

Sun Exposure: Full sun–part shade
Mature Height (ft): 4–6
Mature Width (ft): 3–5
Bloom Season: Mid–late summer

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Get to know this plant.

Sun Exposure

Full sun–part shade

Growth Habit

Upright, suckering

Mature Height (ft)

4–6

Mature Width (ft)

3–5

More growing details

Bloom Season

Mid–late summer

Bloom Color

Deep pink

Evergreen / Deciduous

Deciduous

Native Status

NC native species; cultivar

WNC Notes

Fragrant pollinator shrub for moist acidic soil; spreads slowly by suckers.

Drought Tolerance

Low

Wet-Soil Tolerance

High

Deer Resistance

High

LOOK CLOSELY

Two views, a closer look.

Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.

First photographSecond photograph

**Clethra alnifolia 'Sixteen Candles' bloom and leaf detail**☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeDebbie Roos ↗ · CC BY 2.0
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Resized and converted to WebP; complete composition retained.

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