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Clethra Ruby Spice
Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice'
Clethra Ruby Spice is popular due to its fragrant pink flower spikes that attract pollinators and add vibrant color to both sunny and shaded garden areas. This versatile, deer-resistant shrub is perfect for borders, rain gardens, and woodland settings, offering multi-season interest with its summer blooms and fall foliage.
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Clethra Ruby Spice Shrubs for Sale Online
Clethra 'Ruby Spice,' also known as Ruby Spice Summersweet, is a stunning deciduous shrub that brings vibrant color, delightful fragrance, and wildlife-friendly features to your garden. This variety of Clethra is prized for its rich pink flower spikes, which bloom profusely in late summer, filling the air with a sweet, spicy fragrance. The flowers are a magnet for pollinators, attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, making it an excellent choice for supporting local wildlife. Clethra' Ruby Spice' 's deep green, glossy foliage turns a striking golden-yellow in fall, adding multi-season interest to your landscape.
Clethra 'Ruby Spice' thrives in moist, well-drained soil and partial to full shade, ideal for use in borders, woodland gardens, or near water features, though it can tolerate full sun if kept well-watered. This hardy shrub is known for its adaptability, performing well in both naturalistic settings and more formal garden spaces. Clethra 'Ruby Spice' is deer-resistant, making it an excellent option for gardens where browsing is an issue. Its compact size, reaching 4-6 feet in height and width, makes it suitable for smaller garden spaces, where its vibrant flowers and lush foliage can shine.
Clethra 'Ruby Spice' also works well in mixed shrub borders, paired with other moisture-loving plants such as ferns, hostas, and hydrangeas, for a layered and textured look. Its fragrant blooms make it a great candidate for planting near patios or walkways, where the scent can be enjoyed up close. Whether used as a focal point, mass planting, or as part of a wildlife garden, Clethra 'Ruby Spice' adds beauty, fragrance, and pollinator appeal to your outdoor space, providing a vibrant splash of color during the summer months and a lovely golden hue in autumn.
| Hardiness Zone: | 4-9 |
|---|---|
| Mature Height: | 3 to 6 Feet |
| Mature Width: | 4 to 6 Feet |
| Classification: | Broad leaved flowering shrub, Mid to Late Summer Flowering |
| Sunlight: | Full sun to part shade |
| Habit: | Densely branched |
| Flower Color: | Fragrant pink spikes |
| Foliage: | Dark green |
| Soil Condition: | Any well drained soil |
| Water Requirements: | Water well until established |
| Uses: | Extremely attractive when used as a focal point in the mixed border, mass planting, or a specimen planting. |
How to Care for Clethra Ruby Spice
Be sure to read our planting instructions to ensure a healthy and happy Clethra Ruby Spice for years to come!
How do I Plant Clethra Ruby Spice Shrubs?
To plant Clethra 'Ruby Spice' shrubs, start by choosing a location that offers partial to full shade, although it can tolerate full sun if kept consistently moist. This shrub thrives in moist, acidic, and well-drained soils, so amending the planting area with compost or organic matter is recommended to improve soil structure and fertility. Dig a hole twice the width of the root ball and slightly deeper than its height, then carefully place the shrub in the hole, ensuring that the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil. Backfill the hole with soil, pressing gently to eliminate air pockets, and water thoroughly to help settle the plant in place. After planting, apply a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch around the base of the Clethra 'Ruby Spice' to help retain moisture, keep the roots cool, and reduce weed growth. Keep the mulch a few inches away from the base of the shrub to prevent rot. Clethra is known for its adaptability to wet conditions, making it an excellent choice for planting near water features, rain gardens, or other consistently moist areas. Space multiple shrubs about 4-6 feet apart to allow for their mature size, providing enough room for proper air circulation. With its fragrant pink flower spikes and lush green foliage, Clethra 'Ruby Spice' will quickly become a show-stopping addition to your landscape.
How do I Plant Clethra Ruby Spice Shrubs?
To plant Clethra 'Ruby Spice' shrubs, begin by selecting a location that provides partial to full shade, although this adaptable shrub can handle full sun if provided with ample moisture. Clethra 'Ruby Spice' thrives in well-drained, consistently moist, and slightly acidic soil, so amending your soil with organic compost or peat moss before planting will help create the ideal growing conditions. Dig a hole that is about twice as wide as the shrub’s root ball and equally as deep, ensuring enough space for the roots to spread out comfortably. Carefully remove the shrub from its container, place it in the hole, and backfill with soil while gently firming it down to eliminate air pockets. Once planted, water thoroughly to help the roots settle into their new environment. After planting, adding a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch around the base of Clethra 'Ruby Spice' can help retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and prevent weeds. Be sure to keep the mulch a few inches away from the trunk to avoid rot and allow good air circulation. Space additional Clethra 'Ruby Spice' shrubs about 4-6 feet apart to give them enough room to reach their mature size and to allow for proper airflow, which helps minimize any potential disease issues. Clethra 'Ruby Spice' is an excellent choice for use in borders, woodland gardens, or near water features, where its beautiful pink blooms, attractive golden fall foliage, and wildlife appeal will enhance the landscape throughout the seasons.
How do I Fertilize Clethra Ruby Spice Shrubs?
To fertilize Clethra 'Ruby Spice' shrubs, apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring just before new growth begins. A fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 10-10-10 or 14-14-14 will provide the nutrients necessary for strong root development, lush foliage, and abundant flower production. Spread the fertilizer evenly around the base of the shrub, keeping it away from the trunk, and lightly work it into the soil. Avoid over-fertilizing, as too much nitrogen can lead to excessive foliage growth at the expense of flowers. Clethra 'Ruby Spice' is relatively low-maintenance, so a light feeding once a year is usually sufficient to keep it thriving. In addition to spring fertilization, consider adding a layer of organic compost or well-aged manure around the base of the shrub. This helps enrich the soil and improve moisture retention while gradually releasing nutrients throughout the growing season. Mulching also provides the added benefit of keeping the roots cool and preventing weeds from competing for nutrients. Clethra 'Ruby Spice' thrives in slightly acidic soil, so if the soil is too alkaline, adding soil acidifiers such as sulfur or peat moss can help maintain the right pH. By fertilizing appropriately, you can ensure that your Clethra 'Ruby Spice' produces lush green foliage and vibrant pink blooms, creating an eye-catching display in your garden.
How do I Prune Clethra Ruby Spice Shrubs?
To prune Clethra 'Ruby Spice' shrubs, start by performing a light pruning in early spring before new growth emerges. This timing allows you to shape the shrub and remove any dead, damaged, or weak branches that may have been affected by winter weather. Using clean, sharp pruning shears, cut back any branches that cross over each other or show signs of disease to improve airflow within the plant, reducing the risk of fungal issues. Clethra 'Ruby Spice' blooms on new wood, so a spring pruning helps encourage vigorous new growth and results in more vibrant flower spikes during the summer months. You can also perform a light trimming after the blooming period to remove spent flower spikes, which helps maintain a tidy appearance. Avoid heavy pruning, as Clethra tends to have a naturally rounded form that doesn't require drastic shaping. If the shrub has become too large or needs rejuvenation, you can cut back older branches to about one-third of their length, encouraging new shoots to grow from the base. Pruning Clethra 'Ruby Spice' regularly will promote a healthy, full plant with abundant blooms, allowing it to thrive as a beautiful focal point in woodland gardens, mixed borders, or as a foundation planting.
