About
This robust, upright, deciduous shrub typically reaches a height of 1.5 meters and features finely serrated, glossy foliage. During late summer and early autumn, it produces compact clusters of fragrant pink blossoms that develop from darker pink buds, maintaining their color throughout the blooming period. Ideal for planting in shaded borders or woodland settings.
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