Gardening Plant Encyclopedia Shrub Summersweet By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on January 8, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Marty Baldwin. Summersweet Overview Description A North American native, summersweet marks the ending of summer with its fragrant white flowers. It starts blooming in August in many areas and continues the show into fall when the small to medium shrub's foliage yellows. Hummingbirds and butterflies flock to summersweet blossoms, but deer steer clear, making this a great shrub for locations with a large deer population. Genus Name Clethra alnifolia Common Name Summersweet Plant Type Shrub Light Part Sun, Sun Height 3 to 8 feet Width null to 8 feet Flower Color Pink, White Season Features Colorful Fall Foliage, Fall Bloom, Summer Bloom Special Features Attracts Birds, Fragrance, Low Maintenance Zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Propagation Seed Problem Solvers Good For Privacy Summersweet Care Must-Knows Native to swampy woodlands, summersweet is easy to grow in average to wet soil in full sun or part shade. It tolerates consistently moist soil—sandy or clay—with ease. It will grow in full shade but tends to have an open and loose habit. Avoid planting summersweet in a hot, dry location. It will languish if its root zone dries out. Plant summersweet in spring. Blanket the soil around the shrub with a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch to prevent soil moisture evaporation. Water plants regularly during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Prune summersweet as needed in early fall after flowering. Summersweet will send up suckers and spread over time. Remove suckers immediately if you do not want a dense hedge. These are the 13 best summer-blooming shrubs. Landscaping With Summersweet Dark glossy foliage, late summer flowers, and brilliant autumn foliage make summersweet a valuable shrub. Plant compact varieties in perennial planting beds to add year-round structure and late-summer interest. Employ summersweet as a hedge along a property line, creating a wildlife oasis at the same time. Great planting companions for this easy-to-grow shrub include ninebark, dogwood, aster, and purple coneflower. Create gorgeous hedges with these flowering shrubs. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit