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Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' (Sweet pepper bush 'Ruby Spice')
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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
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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)
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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
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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
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