Ruby Spice Summersweet Clethra
A Summer Blooming Shrub with Sweet Smelling Pink Flowers
This low-maintenance, disease resistant shrub attracts butterflies and bees to the garden.
Ruby Spice Summersweet Clethra (Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’) is a delightful addition to any garden or landscape. It is easy to grow and has impressive disease-resistance, making it a great choice for beginning or advanced gardeners in zones 4-8 (find your gardening zone here). During the summertime, fragrant pink panicle-shaped flowers and lustrous dark green leaves become a bustling hub for bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators. The flowers also entice hummingbirds to visit, while dense foliage provides a safe spot for nesting birds. In autumn, the lustrous dark green leaves turn shades of glowing yellow to golden brown in early fall, and dark brown seed capsules remain on the plant once the leaves fall. Clethra species have been rated as “seldom severely damaged by deer” on Rutgers University’s list of Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance, however no plant can claim to be entirely deer-proof.
How Big do Ruby Spice Summersweet Clethra Get?
Ruby Spice summersweet clethra is a compact and rounded shrub, and typically reaches a mature height of 3 to 6 feet, with a similar spread. Its moderate growth rate (roughly 1-2 feet per year) makes it well-suited for various garden settings, including borders, woodland gardens, or near water features. Its manageable size makes it an excellent choice for smaller gardens or spaces where size is a consideration. With attractive foliage and sweetly scented blossoms, this shrub adds both beauty and fragrance to the landscape without overwhelming the space.
Ruby Spice Summersweet Clethra (Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’) grows 4-6 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide.
How Do I Care for Ruby Spice Summersweet Clethra?
Plant Ruby Spice Summersweet Clethra in the early spring or fall, and water the newly planted shrub thoroughly, keeping the soil consistently moist during its establishment period (learn more about the watering requirements of young shrubs in “How to Water Your Plants”). Clethra thrives in moist, sandy, acidic soil, and will tolerate clay soil, periodic flooding, and full shade. Prune the plant in late winter or early spring to maintain its shape and remove any dead or diseased branches. Summersweet clethra is late to leaf out in the spring, so be patient and don’t worry…it will happen, and it’s worth the wait!
Ruby Spice Summersweet Clethra is known for its resilience to pests and diseases, making it a low-maintenance option for gardeners. With proper care and attention, your Ruby Spice Summersweet Clethra will reward you with its fragrant pink panicle-shaped flowers and glossy foliage, attracting a delightful array of pollinators and providing a natural haven for birds.
Landscaping Ideas for Ruby Spice Summersweet Clethra:
Plant a row of Ruby Spice summersweet clethra along the length of a fence, softening the harsh lines of the posts and slats, or use in a foundation planting. Plant in a mass planting, or combine with other evergreens and small trees to create a mixed privacy border. Plant in any shady, wet area that is prone to standing water or periodic flooding, such as the low wet spots in your yard, or at the end of a gutter downspout or gutter extender. Summersweet has a suckering habit and can be used to stabilize damp slopes, preventing erosion.
Plant Ruby Spice summersweet clethra in the dappled shade of a woodland garden or alongside a pond or stream, mimicking its natural environment. Use in a pollinator garden, hummingbird garden, or butterfly garden and watch birds, bees and butterflies flock to the fragrant pink summer blooms.
Ruby Spice summersweet clethra (Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’) has fragrant, rosy pink blooms and shiny green leaves.