Clethra alnifolia Rosea
Clethra alnifolia Rosea
Clethra alnifolia Rosea
Panicled White Alder, Sweet Pepper Bush
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Description
Clethra alnifolia ‘Rosea’, or sweet pepperbush ‘Rosea’, is a charming deciduous bush with clusters of pink, highly fragrant flowers, visited by bees and butterflies. Its bushy habit and tolerance for partial shade and damp soils make it ideal for woodland edges and pond margins. Easy to grow in acidic, moist soil and very hardy, it integrates well into naturalistic scenes and informal hedges.
A member of the Clethraceae family, Clethra alnifolia has the botanical synonyms Clethra tomentosa and various old names (e.g., Clethra dentata); the ‘Rosea’ cultivar is an old horticultural selection, known for its pink buds and flowers, which become almost white.
The species is native to eastern North America, from the coasts of Nova Scotia and Maine down to Florida, and west to Texas, where it is naturally found in marshes, peat moors, damp woodland edges, stream banks, and wooded dunes on acidic sands.
This shrub is rounded and well-branched, with upright stems bearing smooth brown-grey bark. Its base is slightly suckering, and its growth is slow to medium. In the ground, ‘Rosea’ reaches between 1.50 m and 2 m in all directions at maturity. The alternate, oblong, finely toothed leaves measure 4 to 10 cm long by 2 to 4 cm wide. They are a medium green in summer, then turn golden yellow in autumn before falling; the foliage is deciduous. The shrub flowers on the current year's wood in upright spikes 5 to 15 cm long, composed of small, very fragrant 5-petalled flowers. This flowering period lasts from July to August-September. The fruits are small, spherical, brownish capsules reminiscent of peppercorns, which are inedible; they persist through winter, and feed small animals.
The plant may produce suckers, which should be removed to contain the clump. It is hardy down to -20 °C.
Clethra alnifolia 'Rosea' will only thrive in acidic soils that never dry out, in a partially shaded position. It tolerates some clay, but dislikes waterlogged soils. Plant this bush in ericaceous soil beds or at the foot of large deciduous trees, provided the soil remains somewhat moist in summer. Pair it, for example, with large rhododendrons with mauve flowers (R. Catawbiense Grandiflorum), white flowers (Cunningham’s White), or pink flowers (Scintillation), with autumn camellias, and Kalmias.
The English name summersweet or sweet pepperbush refers to the sweet scent of the flowers and the peppercorn-like appearance of the dried fruits; the wild species with white flowers is also planted to stabilise damp banks on the east coast of the United States.
Plant habit
Flowering
Foliage
Botanical data
Clethra
alnifolia
Rosea
Clethraceae
Panicled White Alder, Sweet Pepper Bush
Cultivar or hybrid
Planting and care
Clethra alnifolia Rosea, hardy down to -20°C at minimum, is best planted in spring, in light, well-drained, acidic soil that remains moist all year round, in a partially shaded position. Add peat at planting. Cultivation in pure peat is also possible. This shrub does not tolerate lime or drought. It is naturally resistant to diseases and parasitic pests.
Planting period
Intended location
Care
Planting & care advice
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Hardiness is the lowest winter temperature a plant can endure without suffering serious damage or even dying. However, hardiness is affected by location (a sheltered area, such as a patio), protection (winter cover) and soil type (hardiness is improved by well-drained soil).
In temperate climates, pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, spireas, etc.) should be done just after flowering.
Pruning of summer-flowering shrubs (Indian Lilac, Perovskia, etc.) can be done in winter or spring.
In cold regions as well as with frost-sensitive plants, avoid pruning too early when severe frosts may still occur.
The harvesting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions in USDA zone 8 (France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...) fruit and vegetable harvests are likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.
In warmer areas (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), harvesting will probably take place earlier, depending on weather conditions.
The sowing periods indicated on our website apply to countries and regions within USDA Zone 8 (France, UK, Ireland, Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...), delay any outdoor sowing by 3-4 weeks, or sow under glass.
In warmer climes (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), bring outdoor sowing forward by a few weeks.
The planting period indicated on our website applies to regions in USDA Zone 9a (East Coast and Midlands: Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, Portlaoise). It will vary depending on where you live:
- On the west coast and in the north-west (Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Donegal, Westport), delay planting by 1 to 2 weeks in spring and bring it forward by 1 to 2 weeks in autumn compared to the dates given, preferably choosing periods without strong winds.
- In the inland hills and plateaus (Wicklow Mountains, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Connemara, Killarney), it is best to plant in spring (April–May) or autumn (September–October), avoiding periods of waterlogged soil in winter and strong winds, which pose the main risk to newly planted trees in these areas.
The flowering period indicated on our website applies to regions in USDA Zone 9a, such as the East Coast and Midlands, including Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Portlaoise.
This will vary depending on where you live:
- On the west coast and in the northwest (Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Donegal and Westport), it will be delayed by one to two weeks compared to the given dates, due to stronger Atlantic winds and less spring sunshine.
- In the inland hills and plateaus (the Wicklow Mountains, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Connemara and Killarney), flowering will be delayed by two to three weeks. Flowering mainly occurs between May and July, with the limiting factors being less frost and more of the excessive humidity, strong winds and lack of sunshine that are characteristic of these areas.
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