About
Clethra alnifolia 'Sixteen Candles' is a compact, upright deciduous shrub that features glossy leaves, which transition to yellow in the fall. In summer, it produces clusters of elongated, candle-shaped spikes adorned with fragrant white flowers.
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
- Full shade, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden
- Fragrance
- Flower
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained acid soil, best in part or dappled shade
- Pruning
- Pruning group 1; remove some of the old wood from the base in winter, leaving the strongest suckers as replacement growth
- Propagation
- Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free