Compact habit makes this a good choice for small gardens in shrub borders and mixed into perennial borders. ‘Sixteen Candles’ summersweet is a newer cultivar of a popular native shrub. Remove one-fourth of the plant's oldest, woodiest canes at ground level with loppers in late winter to early spring. Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish an extensive root system. A North American native, summersweet marks the ending of summer with its fragrant white flowers. Summersweet plant (Clethra alnifolia), also known as pepper bush, is an ornamental shrub with spikes of spicy-smelling white flowers.Blooming often takes place in summer around July or August. Pruning is … One exceptional flowering shrub is Clethra alnifolia, summersweet which is also known as sweet pepperbush.The genus Clethra is comprised of over thirty species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs and small trees found in temperate and neo-tropic zones of Asia, Malaysia, Central America, South America, and North America. Ruby Spice is a good size for the border, foundation, or even specimen planting, It reaches 4 to 6 feet high and about 4 feet wide, well-branched and bushy. Good flowering shrub for shade or woodland gardens. For the best blooms, you should prune your summersweet shrub in the early spring and after the blooming season. This lovely shrub produces sweetly fragrant rosy blooms in late summer. Hereof, is Clethra alnifolia Evergreen? General care for any tree or shrub is easy, please educate yourself and follow these simple rules. The oldest, lowest branches on a clethra shrub should be cut back to ground level. Ruby Spice Summersweet Shrub Butterflies love these blooms almost as much as you will! Ruby Spice Summersweet Shrub. It also has a nice yellow fall color. Clethra Ruby Spice Shrubs Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' Clethra Ruby Spice Shrubs produce fragrant spikes of small, rich rose-pink flowers - that contrast nicely while standing above glossy green foliage. Ruby Spice Summersweet is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a shapely oval form. Summersweets are somewhat unique among flowering shrubs because of their ability to bloom in shady locations in late summer when few other shrubs are in bloom. ... Autumn/Winter Care: Prune late winter if needed, but most are best if kept natural. It should be pruned late winter or very early spring. Remove old wood. Also appropriate for moist soils These seeds should be surface-sown and will germinate in 2-4 weeks. ‘Ruby Spice’ is a cultivar of one of our most beautiful native shrubs, Clethra alnifolia or Sweet Pepperbush. Mass or group in lawns, foundations or shrub borders. An easy-to-grow, multiseason shrub you will really enjoy. Effective as a hedge. While most of the other shrubs have dropped their early blooms, the summersweet lives up to its name by producing flowers until August. Will tolerate wet soil if happy. This is done before the flower buds develop. The glossy leaves become dark green with maturity and the stems are woody. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' Spikes of deep pink and blush tones, sweet fragrance, the best pink cultivar available, the color does not fade as other pinks do. Missouri Botanical Garden Plant of Merit. Spreading by rhizomes, this summersweet grows 4-6’ tall and prefers moist, rich, acidic soil. In early to late July and into August, the plant bears vivid pink flower spikes on the current season's growth. Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. They are deciduous shrubs of medium stature with rich, dark green foliage, and flowers with head-turning, sensuous, honey-sweet scent in mid- to late-summer when few other shrubs are flowering. A huge color breakthrough for Summersweet. The handsome green foliage ignites into flaming yellows in fall. These bushes can be successfully grown from seeds, however, the seed takes some time to mature and should be collected in mid-winter. Caring for Ruby Spice Clethra - Summersweet. Fragrant spikes of small rich rose-pink flowers stand above glossy green foliage and attract butterflies in summer. Ruby Spice Summersweet (Clethra) - 3 Gallon Pot A super-hardy, adaptable and very easy to grow North American native flowering shrub, 'Ruby Spice' Summersweet, also called Sweet Pepperbush, is the darkest pink of all of varieties we've ever seen. The clethra, an ornamental deciduous shrub, is also known as summersweet. In late summer the fragrant flowers will bloom upright flowers that grow on panicles. It starts blooming in August in many areas and continues the show into fall when the small to medium shrub’s foliage yellows. Then in autumn, the handsome green foliage ignites into flaming shades of yellow! A wide variety of butterflies and songbirds are attracted to summersweet clethra for its nectar and seeds. Is Clethra Ruby Spice deer resistant? Ruby Spice features rich rose-pink blooms that are a first for flowering Clethra. Ruby Spice Summersweet, Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice', is a distinctive true pink that ranks supreme! Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' (Sweet pepper bush 'Ruby Spice') will reach a height of 2m and a spread of 1.5m after 10-20 years. Its attractive dark green foliage takes on a yellow to orange … This plant can be planted in site that's wet. Hi Jean-The Ruby Spice Clethra develops blooms on the current years new growth. Find Ruby Spice Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice') in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota (MN) at Gertens (Sweet Pepperbush) JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Preparation. Join Gardenia.net. Native to the eastern United States, it has lustrous green leaves in the spring, spiky white or pink fragrant flowers during the summer, golden yellow leaves in the fall, and interesting, delicate dried seed capsules in winter to provide exceptional four-season interest. Intensely fragrant, star-shaped florets grow into plump, exotic 2-4" wands that appear on a 4-6' bush for many weeks in mid to late summer. Waterside, Low Maintenance, Cottage/Informal, Beds and borders, Wildlife, Woodland. It matures to an average height of 5 feet to 5 feet and an average width of 3 feet to 6 feet, depending on climate and other environmental factors. 'Ruby Spice' Also known as 'Summersweet' this lovely medium sized shrub is perfect for bringing late summer colour to the garden. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. Clethra Alnifolia Pruning Tips. Clethra, like most shrubs, benefits from an annual trim but should be allowed to retain its shape. About Ruby Spice Summersweet - Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' Clethra Alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' is a moderate growing shrub that can be grown in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3B through 9B. Prefers medium, well-drained soil, but is adaptable to many soil types and will tolerate wet conditions (not standing water) once established. Clethra is native along the coast from Maine to Florida and around the peninsula to Texas. Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' has a bushy habit without becoming overly large, making it ideal for a shrub border or woodland garden. 'Ruby Spice' Ruby Spice Summersweet A gentle breeze will carry the heavenly fragrance of the lovely rose-pink spring blooms and the spicy sweet aroma of the foliage through your garden, and to your doorstep. Aug 27, 2017 - This lovely shrub produces rosy blooms of delicious, sweet fragrance in late summer. Cultivation. Fragrant spikes of small rich rose-pink flowers stand above glossy green foliage in the summer. This Sweet Pepperbush is shade tolerant and very easy to maintain too, which makes it perfect for any awkward spot in your garden. Cut off damaged, diseased or crossing canes from "Hummingbird" summersweet whenever you notice them. 'Ruby Spice' Pink Summersweet. In summer, ‘Sixteen Candles’ is topped with aromatic, erect, butterfly-enticing white blooms for 4 to 6 weeks. This deer resistant native plant has nice yellow fall foliage, too. 'Ruby Spice' is a truly special clethra, with the best pink flowers you'll find on the species. The Ruby Spice Summersweet is a late summer bloom with wonderful fragrance and bright pink flowers that do not fade. A great low-maintenance native plant that pollinators love. Be the first to review this product. There are multiple varieties of Summersweet. Suggested uses. Clethra a. Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device. Becomes smothered in pale pink bottlebrush flowers in late summer and autumn which are sweetly fragrant and very attractive to butterflies and bees. Because it is native, it is seldom troubled by pests and diseases, and grows readily with little attention from you. Hummingbirds and butterflies flock to summersweet blossoms, but deer steer clear, making this a great shrub for locations with a large deer population. The compact habit makes this a good choice for small gardens in shrub borders and mixed into perennial borders. If you wait until mid to late spring, you will remove the buds and your plant will have very few or no blooms that year. Planting & Care for Deciduous Shrub – Summersweet. Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) are fragrant showy wetland shrubs native to coastal areas. The foliage is densely packed to form a round bush. Summersweet ‘Ruby Spice’ ... How to care for them: full sun is perfectly fine if they’re not in a dry spot, but they tolerate a decent amount of shade as well. Grow in fertile, moist but … Deep reddish-pink flowers don't fade to white, and their fragrance attracts butterflies to the summer garden. This compact selection reaches 3 to 5 feet tall. Summersweet Clethra (Clethra alnifolia) It is often hard to find shrubs that flower in the summer—and even better yet, shrubs that flower well in the shade—but summersweet clethra (Clethra alnifolia) fits the bill for both. 'Ruby Spice' is the darkest red of all of the Summersweet varieties. Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’ (Summersweet) Photo by F.D.Richards | Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) How To Grow A Summersweet Shrub. Ruby Spice Summersweet Height: 5 feet Spread: 5 feet Sunlight: Hardiness Zone: 4a Other Names: Sweet Pepperbush Description: One of the most fragrant of all garden shrubs with showy spikes of sweetly scented deep pink flowers bloom in l Sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), a deciduous shrub, grows to 8 feet tall, in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 9. Compact habit makes this a good choice for small gardens in shrub borders and mixed into perennial borders.