Clethra alnifolia

sweet pepperbush

Clethraceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

3-10 ft tall by 2-5 ft wide

Life Span:

long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms in spring. Moderately long-lived (Nelson 2003).

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Aroma/Showy Fruitsagrance

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Hedges, back borders. Blooms in summer.

Considerations:

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Stays wet ---- to ---- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salt.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Birds, Mammals

Attracts butterflies and bees which have evolved to take advantage of narrow, tubular flowers. 

Attracts hummingbirds.





Birds and other small wildlife consume the seed ( https://wildflower.org ) 

Native Habitats:

Moist-wet areas, acid soils. Wet flatwoods, savannas, swamps, stream banks, bogs, other wet areas.