Summersweet Clethra Shrub

A Versatile Ornamental with Year-Round Visual Interest!

Also known as Hummingbird Summersweet, this shrub provides deep green foliage and fragrant white blooms for a striking spectacle. A deciduous shrub, this eye-catching variety attracts birds and other wildlife, for a pollinator friendly garden from mid-July into August.

Summersweet Clethra works well as part of a mixed border along the driveway or a perennial addition to flower beds. It can tolerate difficult conditions, including damp, swampy areas, poor soil conditions, and cold fronts down to -20 degrees, unlike similar ornamental shrub varieties. It also thrives in compact areas, with mature growth of only 3-4 feet.

Summersweet Clethra brings varying displays of color to the landscape year-round, from delicate white flowers in mid-July into August to rich hues in autumn and beyond. Its visual appeal will enchant the landscape with reliability and easy-to-maintain growth.

Order your Summersweet Clethra today for a versatile and hardy ornamental that will add beauty and texture to any space!

Planting & Care

1. Planting: Before planting, choose a location with full sun to partial shade (4 to 8 hours of sun per day) and well-drained soil. Summersweet Clethra is highly adaptable, drought resistant and easy-to-grow in most soil types. When it’s time to plant, start by digging a hole that’s at least twice the width of your tree’s root ball. After placing your tree in its hole, backfill the soil, tamp down to ensure air pockets are eliminated, and water to establish the root system.

2. Watering: Water your new shrub regularly and deeply during its first growing season to help establishment, approximately once weekly. If you’re not sure when to water and how much watering your tree needs, simply check the soil. If the soil is dry down to around 2 or 3 inches, it’s time to water.

3. Fertilizing: If you want to bolster your Summersweet's growth, apply slow-release, well-balanced fertilizer before new growth begins in the spring.

4. Pruning: Pruning isn’t required, but if you’d like to shape your Summersweet, simply do so a few times a year, or however often is necessary to shape.