Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’ (Summersweet)

A truly beautiful shrub with distinctive, bright pink, bottlebrush-like flower spikes, delightfully fragrant and long-lasting (up to six weeks) in mid-late summer. It also provides great fall color, with its lustrous dark green leaves turning glowing yellow. More compact than the species, this hardy shrub should be planted near a patio to enjoy its extremely fragrant summer blooms.

• Densely branched, and rounded, this deciduous shrub spreads slowly by suckers and typically grows 4-6 feet tall (120-180 cm) with a spread of 3-5 ft. (90-150 cm). It enjoys excellent resistance to insects and diseases.
• A part shade to full shade lover, this plant is best grown in average, medium to wet, acidic, sandy soils. Full sun is tolerated if constant moisture is provided. Do not let the soil dry out! Clay and wet soil tolerant!
• Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society, winner of the Gold Medal award of The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and of the Cary Award, which recognizes plants that are particularly adequate for New England, offer superior landscape appeal, are winter hardy and pest resistant.
• Flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
• Mass in mixed shrub borders for dramatic summer blooms. Great flowering shrub for shade or woodland gardens or along stream banks or ponds. May be naturalized in cottage gardens, wild gardens, or naturalized areas.
• Promptly remove root suckers unless the naturalized look is desired
• Propagate by cuttings.