What does clethra smell like?
What does clethra smell like?
The flowers offer a strong, but never-cloying scent that recalls honeysuckle, rose, clove, and heliotrope. You’ll find this North American native is extremely easy to grow: Ideally, Clethra (or “Summer Sweet,” as it is commonly called) wants filtered light, abundant moisture, and slightly-acidic soil.
Does clethra bloom on new wood?
This plant in general will need a minimal amount of pruning. This plant blooms on new wood so you can “go nuts” if that is prudent. This plant grows and develops best in acidic soil.
Is clethra a perennial?
Clethra alnifolia, commonly called summersweet, is a deciduous shrub that is native to swampy woodlands, wet marshes, stream banks and seashores, often in sandy soils, along the coast from Maine to Florida and west to Texas.
Is clethra a fragrant?
Clethra is one of the best shrubs for late summer color and fragrance. Clethra has lots of other reasons to grow besides the knock-out fragrance and the beautiful abundant flowers. Exfoliating bark with glossy dark green leaves, the fragrant flowers are followed by brown capsules, which attract small mammals and birds.
How tall does Clethra get?
5 to 8 feet tall
Summersweet clethra typically grow from 5 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide.
What plants look good with Clethra?
Because of its honey gold autum foliage, Clethra also looks beautiful when planted near darker foliage shrubs such as purple-leafed Cotinus, and Physocarpus cultivars ‘Diabolo’, ‘Coppertinia’, and ‘Summer Wine’.
Should you cut back clethra?
Clethra do not require pruning, however respond very well to it. Since Clethra bloom on new growth, pruning can be done during winter or early spring without effecting the summer bloom. Pruning is a good way to rejuvenate the shrub following a harsh of winter.
Should clethra be deadheaded?
Deadhead dead and fading clethra flowers. When spent flowers are left on the shrub, it will direct its energy to producing seed. If you deadhead or remove these flowers, that energy will be redirected to bloom production. The oldest, lowest branches on a clethra shrub should be cut back to ground level.
Should you cut back Clethra?
When should I trim my Clethra?
Prune in late winter or early spring before flower buds form. Cut out any damaged or dead branches at ground level. If you’re not sure whether a branch is dead, try clipping off the tip.
How fast do Clethra grow?
Planting Instructions: Set in the ground at the same depth it is in the container, firm and water well. Winter Care: Apply 2-3″ of mulch to retain moisture. Growth Rate: Slow to moderate once established, which takes approximately 6 -8 weeks.
Can Clethra take shade?
Don’t let heavy shade or damp and clay soil stop you from gardening. It grows best in full sun to part shade and moist to wet soil. …
How long does it take for Clethra to bloom?
Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’ (Summersweet) is a gorgeous, compact, slowly spreading, deciduous shrub which features bottlebrush spikes of extremely fragrant white flowers which bloom for 4-6 weeks in mid to late summer.
What does Clethra look like?
Clethra are deciduous and evergreen shrubs and small trees grown for their fragrant white to yellow-white, cup-like flowers. Leaves are mid- to dark green, alternate, simple, and finely to coarsely toothed. Clethra are suitable for a woodland garden or mixed border. Noteworthy CharacteristicsFragrant flowers.
Is Clethra alnifolia hummingbird?
Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’. Clethra are deciduous and evergreen shrubs and small trees grown for their fragrant white to yellow-white, cup-like flowers.
Can sumsummersweet Clethra grow in South Carolina?
Summersweet clethra ( Clethra alnifolia) is a fantastic shrub with all-season garden interest and can be grown throughout South Carolina. This native species, also called sweet pepperbush, flowers profusely for 4 to 6 weeks during July and August when few other plants are in bloom, and the flowers fill the garden with their spicy fragrance.
