The only thing that makes a warm summer day even sweeter is filling the air with delightful fragrance from great plants - that's why planting Sugartina Crystalina summersweet (Clethra alnifolia - sometimes it's also called pepperbush) will make you so happy! In summer, this fabulous native shrub is covered in white flower spikes that emit the most delicious scent: some say it smells like vanilla, others say cherry, and still, others say root beer. In any case, you'll find pollinators like swallowtail butterflies and bees love it, too. Come fall, its glossy green foliage turns an unforgettable bright yellow.
Sugartina Crystalina clethra from Proven Winners is about half the size of conventional selections, so it's easy to incorporate into your pollinator garden or use in landscaping, even in small spaces. More great news: it's quite shade tolerant, grows in wet soil, and is unbothered by deer!
Vital details:
Plant size: 2.5-3' tall and wide
Light: full sun (6+ hrs/day), part sun (4-6 hrs/day). Can grow in deep shade but flowering and fall color will be diminished.
Water: Average to wet
Hardiness: USDA zone 4-9 (Find your hardiness zone)
Pollinator value: flowers attract butterflies and pollinators.
Notable features: fragrant, deer resistant, native, fall color, summer bloom, dwarf.
Pot size: one quart
Plant name: Clethra alnifolia 'Crystalina' pp#21,561, cbr#4160