About
This upright, suckering shrub reaches a height of about 1.5 meters and features glossy, finely serrated leaves. During late summer and early autumn, it bears clusters of fragrant pink blooms on short, dense spikes. It thrives in shaded borders or woodland gardens.
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
- 1-1.5 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 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
- 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