Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' Summersweet
cadillactaste
10 years ago
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mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
10 years agoNHBabs z4b-5a NH
10 years agoRelated Discussions
sweetspire and summersweet?
Comments (9)Also the facts that should be considered when making a choice: -itea could tolerate both, full sun and part-shade, while clethra prefer to be in a more shady locations, -fall foliage of itea is very attractive crimson-burgundy, while clethra's is yellow-bronze, -itea blooms on old wood and could be/should be pruned if necessary right after the bloom, clethra blooms on a new wood and could be/should be pruned in early spring, -itea leafs out early, while clethra stays 'naked' till May....See MoreWhich Clethra cultivar?
Comments (7)I have Ruby Spice, it's very pretty. September Beauty is supposedly more compact. I thought I was buying another Ruby Spice, and I got a white flowered form (mislabeled). It could be Vanilla Spice? It had a lot of flowers, bushier than RS, and is one year less in the ground, and as tall, as RS. Very upright, rounded growth habit. I love the winter form and the dried seed capsules. Clethra are one of my favorite shrubs....See MoreClethra Hummingbird bent over
Comments (4)lisasml, that happened to me just recently with all the rain to my clethora ruby spice. My mother (with 60 years of gardening behind her) told me that it was b/c it had grown so quickly b/c of all the rain, etc. So...I put chix wire around it to get it to grow straight for the rest of the season. unsightly, yes, but it was NOT going to "spring back" into position. 'hope that helps a bit....See MoreClethra: Old or new wood?
Comments (3)Marsha and Alicia thank you both! Marsha yes you have found another gem, you need to plant one for your nose's sake if nothing else! I'm partial to the deeper rose blooms of Ruby Spice. Alicia I guess I didn't delve into Dirr's fifth edition as I should have, rather I obtained my information from his "Dirr's Hardy Trees And Shrubs" book and I guess he did make a mistake. Under the Pruning Times section at the back of the book he has Clethra Alnifolia listed as blooming on old wood, thus pruning only AFTER it flowered. Lucky you for having it all over the place! Getting my pruners out now!!!...See Morecadillactaste
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