In the Garden
When we hosted a Garden Conservancy Open Day here this summer, most guests asked about one plant in particular.
This plant is “Clethra alnifolia,” whose common names are Summersweet and Sweet Pepperbush. This is a native plant, and really good for wildlife. When it blooms, it smells heavenly. Clethra is very easy to grow. I have never watered it. We have a hedge of the shrub. It is tremendously pest-free. It is excellent for summer flowers and fragrance, a shrub border, and good in shade and wet areas, although ours are grown in drought conditions. The foliage is very handsome, and the overall winter habit is clean. This is one of the easiest plants to grow at commercial and garden centers, so many cultivars are available. You could choose pink or white flowers — whichever height suits your landscape and your soil conditions. Our hedge uses the cultivar “Hummingbird,” which stays low and spreads by rhizomes. Fall color is golden yellow. The flowers are 6 inches long and open earlier than the parent (species). This plant has cold hardiness of -30°F.
So, if you are looking for something special for your yard that attracts a lot of attention, look no further than Clethra. A picture of this plant is attached to this article.