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Summersweet

How to identify Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)

Summersweet, also known as White alder

Summersweet is a deciduous shrub that commonly achieves a height between 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 meters) and typically forms expansive mounded clumps. The foliage is comprised of broad leaves with a resemblance to alder leaves, displaying a finely serrated edge. During its blooming period, summersweet is adorned with fragrant, densely packed spikes of small white flowers. These blossoms can attract a plethora of pollinators, adding to the aesthetic appeal of this shrub.

Lifespan

Lifespan: Perennial

Plant Type

Plant Type: Shrub

Leaf Type

Leaf Type: Deciduous

Quickly Identify Summersweet

1

Fragrant white flowers on dense spikes (5-15 cm) bloom June to August.

2

Distinctive dry capsules (3 mm) with three valves, maturing to brown.

3

Glossy obovate leaves (7.5-10 cm long) turning golden brown in fall.

4

Slender trunk with gray, vertically striped bark developing into scaly ridges.

5

Pubescent fruit capsules, tan-brown in autumn, remaining on plant for over a year.

SummersweetSummersweetSummersweetSummersweetSummersweet

Detailed Traits of Summersweet

Leaf Features

The leaves of summersweet are glossy in summer and transform into shades of yellow to golden brown in fall. They measure about 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) long and 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) wide. The leaves are obovate with an acute to acuminate tip and serrated margins that become entire toward the base. They have a lustrous medium to dark green color and are late to leaf out in spring, featuring an alternate, simple arrangement.

Leaf Shape

Ovate ,
Obovate

Summersweet Leaf Shape image
Leaf Base

Cuneate ,
Circular

Leaf Arrangement

Alternate ,
Fascicled

Leaf Margin

Undulate

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Flower Features

The flowers of summersweet are fragrant, small, and white, arranged densely on narrow, cylindric spikes measuring 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm) long, often clustered at the branch ends. In racemes that are 3 to 5 inches (7.5 to 12.5 cm) long, these showy flowers bloom from June to August on current season growth. Their scent and striking arrangement make them easily identifiable.

Summersweet Flower image
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Fruit Features

The fruit of summersweet are distinctive dry capsules that add visual interest through the colder months. Each capsule is small, with a diameter of about 1/8 inch (around 3 mm), and features three valves. They possess a pubescent, or slightly fuzzy, texture and are initially green, maturing to a robust brown. By autumn, particularly from September to October, the fruit ripens, turning brown and remaining on the plant for over a year. These dehiscent capsules open when ripe, releasing seeds for dispersal.

Learn About the Fruit Glossary
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Key Facts About Summersweet

Attributes of Summersweet
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Shrub
Plant Height
1.5 m to 3 m
Spread
1.2 m to 1.8 m
Leaf Color
Green
Yellow
Brown
Flower Size
8 cm to 15 cm
Flower Color
White
Pink
Fruit Color
Brown
Copper
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Scientific Classification of Summersweet

Family
Clethra
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Genus
Clethra
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Species
Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)
Learn More About the Summersweet

Distribution Map of Summersweet

Summersweet's native range is from Southeast Canada to Texas. Naturalization hasn't taken place elsewhere other than in the Netherlands. Summersweet's natural habitat consists of swampy lands, sandy woodland, and moist thickets.
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
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