A Sweet Time Of Summer For Summersweet

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - This shrub is so pretty, why doesn't everybody have one? Clethra alnifolia, also known as Summersweet, is blooming now and because Clethra likes moisture, they seem particularly perky after all the rain we've had this year.

I planted cultivars with hot pink flowers and their upright brushlike blooms against the shrub's bright green leaves are like a breath of spring in the middle of summer.

Pollinators love Clethra, so you'll not only enjoy its pretty pink or white heavenly-scented flowers, but so will the happy clouds of fluttering butterflies, bees and hummingbirds they welcome. Later in the year, the capsules that form where the flowers are now are good for birds and other wildlife to feast on in the fall.

Check out the photo of Clethra in bloom and you might decide to plant some of these easy care native shrubs yourself.