Summersweet Shrubs Ruby Spice

#3 gallon pot.

Ruby Spice Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice') is a beautiful, deciduous flowering shrub prized for its vibrant, deep rose-pink flower spikes and sweet, clove-like fragrance. Its abundant blooms appear in mid to late summer, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators when many other shrubs have finished flowering. Its glossy green foliage turns a beautiful golden-yellow in fall, providing additional seasonal interest. Growing approximately 4–6 feet tall and 3–5 feet wide, it creates an attractive, upright, rounded appearance in the landscape.

Thriving in full sun to partial shade and moist, acidic soil, it tolerates wet conditions and is low maintenance, fragrant, and highly pollinator-friendly. Ideal for mixed borders, foundation plantings, woodland gardens, and naturalized landscapes.

Maintenance Tip: Water regularly during establishment and keep soil consistently moist, especially during extended dry periods. Prune lightly in late winter or early spring if needed to maintain shape, as flowers develop on new growth. Remove older or damaged stems as necessary, apply mulch to retain soil moisture, and fertilize lightly in spring if needed.

Photo from Prides Corner Farms.