Ruby Spice Clethra

Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’

A standout native shrub for fragrance and late-season color, Ruby Spice Clethra produces striking bright pink, bottlebrush-like flower spikes that fill the garden with sweet perfume in mid to late summer. The long-lasting blooms can persist for weeks and are highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Glossy dark green foliage forms a dense, rounded shrub and turns glowing golden-yellow in fall, extending the season of interest.

Adaptable and easy to grow, this hardy summersweet thrives in moist, acidic soils and tolerates shade, clay, and even wet sites—making it an excellent choice for woodland gardens, rain gardens, and plantings near ponds or streams.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–9

• Sunlight: Full sun to part shade

• Water Requirements: Moderate to high; prefers consistently moist soil and tolerates wet sites

• Growth Rate: Moderate

• Mature Size: 4–6 ft tall × 3–5 ft wide

• Bloom Time: Mid to late summer

• Maintenance: Low; prune in late winter or early spring if shaping is needed

• Landscape Uses: Woodland gardens, rain gardens, borders, mass plantings, pollinator gardens

• Deer Resistance: Moderate