Clethra alnifolia 'Pink Spires' (Pink Summersweet) Unity Grown

Clethra alnifolia 'Pink Spires', also called 'Pink Spires' summersweet or 'Pink Spires' sweet pepperbush, is a coastal wetland shrub native to the eastern United States. As with most summersweet, the real draw for 'Pink Spires' is the flowers, and this cultivar produces a profusion of fragrant pink-hued flower spikes that bloom from mid to late summer. Flowers are attractive to pollinators of all kinds, but especially butterflies and hummingbirds, and with their attractive pink shade, these blooms add further interest to the garden than pure white varieties. Then, in the later summer and fall, foliage turns to a strikingly attractive golden-yellow to add multi-season interest.

'Pink Spires' summersweet is a standard sized Clethra variety, and grows to a mature size of 3-8' tall and 4-6' wide. Since most 'Pink Spires' are multi-stemmed with a suckering growth habit, it is important to choose a large enough planting location for these gorgeous shrubs to spread out. But as long as you can find a large space, you won't have any trouble with these beautiful specimens, since this cultivar looks incredible when planted in masses, when mixed into perennial borders, or when used in rain gardens and wetland restoration projects. Naturally found in coastal wetland areas or floodplains, Clethra alnifolia grows best in wetter areas with acidic, sandy soils and full sun exposure, but is not at all picky, and will tolerate drier soils and perpetually wet clay soils, and even those with some salt content.