Clethra alnifolia 'RUBY SPICE' summer-sweet, sweet pepper bush
size/type
medium-sized shrub,medium-sized shrub
usual height
1-2m
usual width
1-2m
leaves
deciduous broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
July-August
location
semi-shade / partial sun
soil type
acidic (peaty)
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist (dislikes drought)
USDA zone (lowest)
4 (down to -34°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Sweet pepper bush is becoming popular again in our country. It is a medium-sized shrub flowering in summer.
Description of the plant:
Ruby Spice has flowers of has the deepest shade of pink so far selected. Flowers are bell-shaped, light pink, opening from rose buds, formed in upright racemes in July and August. They have a lovely, sweet fragrance, hence its name. Flower buds are deep pink. Oval leaves are deciduous, mid-green, upto 10 cm long, finely serrated and look like hydrangea leaves. For dense foliage it does not like being shaded by other, smaller companion plants very near. This variety requires no trimming, just remove some of the old wood at the base in winter.
Grow it in acid, fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in partial shade or filtered sunlight. Fully hardy to -34°C or more (USDA zone 4).
Last update 20-02-2010
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GLOSSARY
- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
