About
This upright, suckering deciduous shrub reaches heights of up to 2.5 meters. It features glossy, oval leaves with finely serrated edges. During late summer and early autumn, dark pink buds unfurl into elongated, dense spikes filled with highly fragrant, pale pinkish-white blossoms.
About the genus
Clethra consists of trees or shrubs that can be either deciduous or evergreen. They often feature notable bark and have simple leaves. The small, fragrant flowers are typically white, bell-shaped, and arranged in racemes or panicles.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs
- Habit
- Suckering
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Fragrance
- Flower
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained acidic soil in partial or dappled shade, a woodland garden is ideal
- Pruning
- Remove some of the older stems from the base in winter, leaving the strongest suckers as replacement growth
- Propagation
- Propagate by sowing seed in containers outdoors in spring or autumn. Take greenwood cuttings in early summer
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free