Another reason for pruning Ruby Spice summersweet shrub is to re-define the plants definition within the landscape. One of the more fragrant shrubs, summersweet is a blooming shrub that continues it flowery ways well into the summer months. Summersweet. It also has a nice yellow fall color. Hi Jean-The Ruby Spice Clethra develops blooms on the current years new growth. Ruby Spice Summersweet, Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice', is a distinctive true pink that ranks supreme! Add to Any Collection My Collection. Summersweet is tolerant of a range of garden conditions including shade, damp soils, and clay, and it flowers on new wood, so prune in late winter. Pruning can be rather important to the overall look of the plant. Summersweet Ruby Spice is a pink flowered form of the species Clethra alnifolia. Summersweet clethra, Clethra alnifolia, also known as coastal sweet pepperbush, grows naturally along streams in the eastern United States from Maine to Florida.This upright deciduous shrub has fragrant white flowers arranged in showy 3- to 5-inch racemes. The clusters of flowers are They are deciduous shrubs of medium stature with rich, dark green foliage, and flowers with head-turning, sensuous, honey-sweet scent in mid- Plant Summersweet near your favorite outdoor sitting area, or site it under a window so Clethra is a favorite of bees. Deep reddish-pink flowers don't fade to white, and their fragrance attracts butterflies to the summer garden. A great low-maintenance native plant that pollinators love. A summer blooming shrub prized for its late bloom, deep green foliage and adaptability to shade and wet conditions. Its bottlebrush flowers are sweetly fragranced and keep pink color without fading. Summersweet. Add it to beds and borders. A treat for the nose as well as the eyes, the blooms waft a heavenly fragrance into the air, too. Though it can grow to 8' tall it starts flowering at around 2'. Ruby Spice Summersweet. Find Ruby Spice Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice') in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota (MN) at Gertens (Sweet Pepperbush) JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. It is deciduous, with smooth, glossy, mid-green leaves that turn golden yellow in fall. Summersweets are a native shrub that originates along the east coast of the US from Maine to Texas. Season: Summer (Mid,Late) Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' (Summersweet) Add to Collection. How To Plant, Prune, Fertilize, Water And Care For Clethra Summersweet Plants. 'Ruby Spice' is a truly special clethra, with the best pink flowers you'll find on the species. Summersweets are somewhat unique among flowering shrubs because of their ability to bloom in shady locations in late Is Clethra Ruby Spice deer resistant? It was discovered in 1992 as a sport of C. alnifolia Pink Spire. Many times, a plant may outgrow its intended size in the landscape, and must be pruned to re-define its purpose. Missouri Botanical Garden Plant of Merit. This plant can be planted in site that's wet. Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' (Sweet pepper bush 'Ruby Spice') will reach a height of 2m and a spread of 1.5m after 10-20 years. The leaves are to 3 This Ruby Spice Summersweet Clethra Alnifolia FRAGRANT 4" Pot is a nice way to add a pop of vibrant color to your garden or other outdoor area. Fragrant spikes of small rich rose-pink flowers stand above glossy green foliage in the summer. Ruby Spice is most noted for its fragrant rose-pink flowers that bloom in late summer. Ruby Spice is a medium height shrub growing slowly to about 6 feet high and 5 feet wide and is suitable for borders, screens, or as a specimen plant. Suggested uses. Summersweet Ruby Spice - A wonderful fragrant shrub that pollinators love. This plant has an amazing fragrance. This native is a butterfly magnet, a fragrant delight for late summer, and a color-changer in autumn. This is done before the flower buds develop. A wide variety of butterflies and songbirds are attracted to summersweet clethra for its nectar and seeds. Flowers actually come in two flavors: white and pink. Glossy, dark green leaves become golden yellow in the fall. Pruning should be done in early spring before leafing out. Ruby Spice is covered with rosy-pink spikes that can reach 6 long from July into August. Ruby Spice Summersweet (Clethra) - 3 Gallon Pot. Ruby Spice Clethra Photo Courtesy Monrovia. Ruby Spice Summersweet is a deciduous shrub that produces upright spires of densely packed, fragrant flowers in the summer. One is the fact it blooms late. Cut off damaged, diseased or crossing canes from "Hummingbird" summersweet whenever you notice them. If you wait until mid to late spring, you will remove the buds and your plant will have very few or no blooms that year. As you can imagine from the common name, summersweet, the flowers have a very sweet fragrance. Ruby Spice. This deer resistant native plant has nice yellow fall foliage, too. Ruby Spice is one of the best pink-flowered cultivars for Arkansas. Waterside, Low Maintenance, Cottage/Informal, Beds and borders, Wildlife, Woodland. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. They are hardy in zones 3 to 8. Add to Any Collection My Collection. In early to late July and into August, the plant bears vivid pink flower spikes on It is a medium-sized shrub that would work well in perennial borders or as screening. Ruby Spice Summersweet (Clethra) - 3 Gallon Pot A super-hardy, adaptable and very easy to grow North American native flowering shrub, 'Ruby Spice' Summersweet, also called Sweet Pepperbush, is the darkest pink of all of varieties we've ever seen. The Ruby Spice Summersweet is an upright mounding shrub, growing 5 or 6 feet tall and 4 or 5 feet wide. It should be pruned late winter or very early spring. Prefers medium, well-drained soil, but is adaptable to many soil types and will tolerate wet conditions (not standing water) once established. Clethra is shade tolerant but will withstand full sun. Attracts butterflies! It grows upright and reaches a height of 4' to 6' upon reaching maturity, making it ideal for growing next to a fence, wall or driveway. Ruby Spice Summersweet. Clethra alnifolia 'Caleb' VANILLA SPICE' (Summersweet) Add to Collection. The Ruby Spice Summersweet is a late summer bloom with wonderful fragrance and bright pink flowers that do not fade. Hardiness: 4 - 8 Sun: Full Sun, Partial Sun, Shade . Mid-green turning a rich golden brown in the fall. Clethra Summersweet This plant in general will need a minimal amount of pruning. Growing Ruby Spice Summersweet Size and Appearance. Cultivation. Ruby Spice was selected for its abundant fragrant flowers. Ruby Spice has small, rich, rose-pink fragrant flowers in mid-summer that keep their pink color in spite of heat in the summer. Native to the eastern United States, it has lustrous green leaves in the spring, spiky white or pink fragrant flowers during the summer, golden yellow leaves in the fall, and interesting, delicate dried seed capsules in winter to provide exceptional four-season interest. It blooms in July and august, providing beauty to the late summer garden as well as food for bees and butterflies. Posted by Brent Wilson on 10/27/2016 to Fertilizing & Watering Tips. Ruby Spice is a cultivar of one of our most beautiful native shrubs, Clethra alnifolia or Sweet Pepperbush. Caring for Ruby Spice Clethra - Summersweet. Ruby Spice offers dark red to nearly maroon blooms, large and profuse, that open in late season, just as So why isnt this just grown everywhere? Although, this shrub does need acidic soil, which is the key to success for this plant! When planted right and in the right spot, Clethra, also called summersweet or sweet pepperbush, are very easy to grow. Home Garden Splendor Handpicked for You Ruby Spice Summersweet Overdevest Nurseries, LP. Ruby Spice provides a midsummer pick-me-up with a parade of perky pink flower spikes. Blooms have a cinnamon fragrance. Compact habit makes this a good choice for small gardens in shrub borders and mixed into perennial borders. LGS Notes: Ruby Spice sweet pepperbush, also known as summersweet, is a more colorful version of the straight species and the Hummingbird cultivar. Crossing, winter killed, badly formed or damaged branches should be removed back to a main branch, some shaping can be done as well. Grow in fertile, moist but Ruby Spice Summersweet Height: 5 feet Spread: 5 feet Sunlight: Hardiness Zone: 4a Other Names: Sweet Pepperbush Description: One of the most fragrant of all garden shrubs with showy spikes of sweetly scented deep pink flowers bloom in l It's easy to grow. Ruby Spice Sweet pepperbush: Thriving Native for Maryland Piedmont . Ruby spice is a trouble free shrub that can bloom in full sun or heavy shade. Ruby Spice Summersweet is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a shapely oval form. While most of the other shrubs have dropped their early blooms, the summersweet lives up to its name by producing flowers until August. As a plant for sale, Summersweet suffers several minor flaws that drove us crazy back in my garden center days. Find a sunny spot and grow a stand of this charming Summersweet! Remove one-fourth of the plant's oldest, woodiest canes at ground level with loppers in late winter to early spring. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Botanical Name: Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' Season: Spring Sun/Shade: Full Sun, Partial Shade Height: 48 - 72 Spacing: 5 - 6' Zone: 4-9 Spread: 4 - 6' Color: Rich Rose Pink Foliage: Simple, obovate with serrated margins, 1 1/2" - 4" long and up to 2" wide. About Ruby Spice Summersweet. Common Name: Ruby Spice summersweet, Ruby spice clethra, sweet pepperbush Scientific Name: Family: Clethraceae Genus: Clethra Species: alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9 Height: 4 to 6 ft Width: 3 to 5 ft Description: Summersweet is a dense, rounded shrub that can tolerate full shade.