Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet) is a beautiful North American native deciduous shrub valued for its fragrant summer flowers, attractive foliage, and excellent benefits for pollinators and wildlife. Blooming in mid to late summer, Summersweet produces upright spikes of small, sweetly fragrant white flowers that attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial pollinators during an important time of year when many spring-blooming plants have finished flowering.
Its glossy green foliage provides a lush backdrop throughout the growing season and develops warm golden-yellow color in fall, adding multi-season interest to the landscape. Clethra alnifolia performs well in full sun to partial shade and prefers consistently moist, well-drained soils, making it an excellent choice for rain gardens, woodland edges, wetland borders, native plant gardens, and naturalized landscapes.
Its upright, spreading habit can also provide valuable cover and habitat for wildlife. With its fragrant blooms, attractive seasonal foliage, and adaptability to moist growing conditions, Summersweet is an excellent choice for gardeners looking to add a low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly native shrub to their landscape.