Sixteen Candles Summersweet
Clethra alnifolia ‘Sixteen Candles’
Other Names: Sweet Pepper Bush
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 4a-9b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub
Height at Maturity: 5-6′
Width at Maturity: 3-4′
Spacing: 3′ for solid hedges; 6’+ for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Bushy, Upright
Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
Flower Color: Creamy White
Flower Size: Small, densely packed in 1″wide x 4-6″ long bottlebrush-like spikes
Flowering Period: Early to Mid Summer
Flower Type: Spires
Fragrant Flowers: Yes, smells like candy!
Foliage Color: Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered Sun, Morning Shade with Evening Sun
Water Needs: Average
Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sand (amend quick draining soils for moisture retention), Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well Drained To Poorly Drained (Boggy)
Soil pH: 5.5 – 7.5 (Acid to Slightly Alkaline)
Maintenance / Care: Very Low
Attracts: Butterflies. Hummingbirds, Pollinating Insects, Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Heat, Insect, Salt Air, Wet Soils
Description
A magnificent North American native flowering shrub, ‘Sixteen Candles’ Summersweet, also commonly called Sweet Pepper Bush, is adored for her abundant, upright and showy bottlebrush-like spikes of pristine white fragrant flowers that smell like cotton candy! You can’t eat the flowers but the hummingbirds, butterflies and other beneficial pollinators will thank you for planting this one. Highly adaptable, this plant can be grown in sun or shade or damp to even boggy soils. The color show continues in fall when the handsome green foliage turns to bright yellow. A multi-season interest in the garden and very easy to grow ad has no problems with pests or disease, this shrub seldom exceeds 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide so is a good fit for smaller garden spaces.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing upright to about 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide, Sixteen Candles Clethra is useful in sunny to partially shaded landscape beds with moisture retentive soil. Plant this one near the patio, deck or other outdoor living areas where the fragrance and hummingbird and and butterfly action can be enjoyed from close up. A fine addition to butterfly and hummingbird gardens, native gardens, wildlife gardens, white theme gardens, cottage gardens, and fragrance gardens.
Spacing: 3′ for solid hedges; 8′ or more for space between plants
Growing Preferences
Sixteen Candles Clethra is very easy to grow and is free of any pest and disease problems. It grows best in consistently moist, slightly acid soils in sun to part shade however tolerates a range of conditions including shade, wet soil, and salt spray. It prefers consistently moist soil in full sun but will tolerate dry periods in shade or part shade.
Helpful Articles
Click on the link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Clethra Summersweet plants.
How To Plant & Care For Clethra Summersweet
Plant Long & Prosper!
Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff
Questions? Contact Us!



















Reviews
There are no reviews yet.