Beginner
skill rating
Online Garden Tools
Useful videos
Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' (Sweet pepper bush 'Ruby Spice')
Comment on a listing
Plant supplier links
- Login to upload a photo
1 hour care
per year
per year
2m
Max height
Max height
1.5m
Max spread
Max spread
10-20 years
To maturity
To maturity
Plant details
Botanical name
Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice'
Other names
Sweet pepper bush 'Ruby Spice', Sweet pepperbush 'Ruby Spice', Summer sweet 'Ruby Spice', Summersweet 'Ruby Spice'
Genus
Clethra Clethra
Variety or Cultivar
'Ruby Spice' _ 'Ruby Spice' is an upright, densely-branched, suckering, deciduous shrub with oval, toothed, dark green leaves turning yellow and orange in autumn and dense, upright, terminal racemes of fragrant, bell-shaped, rose-pink flowers in late summer and early autumn.
Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' is: Deciduous
Fragrance
Flowers have a spicy fragrance.
Habit
Suckering, Dense, Upright
Awards
RHS AGM (Award of Garden Merit)
Flower
Rose-pink in Summer; Rose-pink in Autumn
Foliage
Dark-green in Spring
How to care
Watch out for
Pests
Generally pest-free.
Diseases
Generally disease-free.
General care
Pruning
Remove some of the oldest, weakest stems from the base in winter.
Propagation methods
Softwood cuttings
Sign up for your FREE ACCOUNT today or login to receive detailed monthly care instructions
Where to grow
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.
Suggested uses
Waterside, Low Maintenance, Cottage/Informal, Beds and borders, Wildlife, Woodland
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained, acid soil in partial or full shade. Do not allow soil to dry out. Tolerates clay.
Soil type
Clay, Loamy, Sandy
Soil drainage
Moist but well-drained
Soil pH
Acid
Light
Partial Shade, Full Shade
Aspect
North, South, East, West
Exposure
Sheltered
UK hardiness Note: We are working to update our ratings. Thanks for your patience.
Hardy (H4)
Companion plants
Botanical name
Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice'
Other names
Sweet pepper bush 'Ruby Spice', Sweet pepperbush 'Ruby Spice', Summer sweet 'Ruby Spice', Summersweet 'Ruby Spice'
Genus
Clethra Clethra
Variety or Cultivar
'Ruby Spice' _ 'Ruby Spice' is an upright, densely-branched, suckering, deciduous shrub with oval, toothed, dark green leaves turning yellow and orange in autumn and dense, upright, terminal racemes of fragrant, bell-shaped, rose-pink flowers in late summer and early autumn.
Foliage
Deciduous
Fragrance
Flowers have a spicy fragrance.
Habit
Suckering, Dense, Upright
Awards
RHS AGM (Award of Garden Merit)
Create your free Shoot garden
Create your free SHOOT garden and make a record of the plants in your garden.
Add your own photos, notes, get monthly email reminders on how to care for your plants, and connect with other gardeners. Get started now.
Colour
Flower
Rose-pink in Summer; Rose-pink in Autumn
Foliage
Dark-green in Spring
How to care
Watch out for
Pests
Generally pest-free.
Diseases
Generally disease-free.
General care
Pruning
Remove some of the oldest, weakest stems from the base in winter.
Propagation methods
Softwood cuttings
Monthly care advice
Get access to monthly care advice
Create a free SHOOT account and get instant access to expert care advice for this and other plants in your garden.
You'll also receive handy monthly email reminders of what needs doing. Create your free account.
Where to grow
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.
Suggested uses
Waterside, Low Maintenance, Cottage/Informal, Beds and borders, Wildlife, Woodland
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained, acid soil in partial or full shade. Do not allow soil to dry out. Tolerates clay.
Soil type
Clay, Loamy, Sandy
Soil drainage
Moist but well-drained
Soil pH
Acid
Light
Partial Shade, Full Shade
Aspect
North, South, East, West
Exposure
Sheltered
UK hardiness Note: We are working to update our ratings. Thanks for your patience.
Hardy (H4)
USDA zones
Zone 8, Zone 7, Zone 6, Zone 5, Zone 4
In order to add a note on this plant, please add this plant to your plant lists.
| This plant likes... | Garden match | |
| Soil types: | Clay, Loamy, Sandy | Tell us... |
| Soil drainage: | Moist but well-drained | Tell us... |
| Soil pH: | Acid | Tell us... |
| Light: | Partial Shade, Full Shade | Tell us... |
| Aspect: | North, South, East, West | Tell us... |
| Exposure: | Sheltered | Tell us... |
| Hardiness: | Hardy (H4) | Tell us... |
COMPANION PLANTS
ARTICLES WITH THIS PLANT
By Rhode Island garden designer Shawn Mayers, APLD. The client is a multi-generational, multi-cultural family that occupies two separate living areas of a new home in Lakeville, M. The house is a… read more
To add ? to your lists,
login to your account or subscribe.
Find out more about plant lists here
or Login
To add notes for this plant login to your account or register for a new account.
Sign up for freeor Login
To add images for this plant login to your account or register for a new account.
Sign up for freeor Login
To check if this plant is suitable for your garden first login to your account or subscribe.
or Login