Red Summersweet 'Ruby Spice'
Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice'
Deep rose-pink flower spikes in July and August with the classic summersweet fragrance. Bees mob it, and it thrives in wet spots and rain gardens.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Mid-summer fragrant blooms when almost everything else is done flowering, plus deep deer resistance and the ability to handle wet, shady spots that stump most shrubs.
'Ruby Spice' is a pink-flowered summersweet that solves the mid-summer gap when many flowering shrubs have finished. The deep rose-pink flower spikes open in July and August, later in the season than most other flowering shrubs, and fill the air with a sweet, spicy fragrance that carries through a garden on warm evenings. The scent is one of those summer garden smells worth walking outside just to catch. Bees absolutely mob the flowers. Bumblebees, honeybees, and dozens of native bee species load up on the pollen and nectar through the entire bloom period. The foliage turns clean yellow in fall, and the plant itself handles moist soils that challenge most flowering shrubs: wet areas, rain gardens, and low spots are prime planting spots.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown red summersweet 'ruby spice' propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 3–5 ft · 36–60 in wide
- Bloom time
- Midsummer, late summer
- Bloom color
- Pink
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Clethraceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America
Care notes for red summersweet 'ruby spice'.
Full sun to part shade in moist to wet, acidic soil. Excellent for rain gardens and low spots. Prune in late winter. it blooms on new wood. Spreads slowly by root suckers to form a colony. No serious pests or diseases. Very cold-hardy and consistent in performance.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside red summersweet 'ruby spice'.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
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Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.