Shrubs
Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice'
Ruby Spice summersweet
Fragrant rose-pink flower spikes rise above glossy green foliage in summer. Yellow autumn leaves extend its season of interest. This upright shrub brings flowers and fragrance to moist borders, especially where a partially shaded position limits other summer bloomers.
At a glance
- Sun
- Part sun
- Mature size
- 4–6 ft. tall × 3–5 ft. wide
- Water
- Moist to wet soil
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 4–9
Sizes & prices
- #3$39.99
Catalog updated September 8, 2026. This is not a live stock count; please call to confirm availability and price.
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Resistance & tolerances
- Wet soil
- Tolerates wet sites and occasional flooding.
Pollinators & wildlife
- Attracts
- Bees, Butterflies
Native range
- Native range / parentage
- Cultivar of a species native to the eastern United States. Cultivated selection of a Kentucky-native species; not wild local stock.
- Tristate native status
- Cultivated selection of a Kentucky-native species; not wild local stock.
Seasonal interest
- Foliage
- Deciduous.
Growing & care
- Pruning
- Prune in late winter; blooms form on new growth.
Sources & photo credits
University of Maryland Extension
nursery-crop-extension.mgcafe.uky.edu
Photo: Randy Harter · CC BY 4.0
Image notes: Ruby Spice summersweet. Representative plant; resized and re-encoded, not cropped.
Reviewed September 21, 2026. Growing conditions vary by location.