Summersweet: Shade-Loving Blooms With Staying Power

Meet Clethra alnifolia, better known as Summersweet or Sweet Pepperbush. This East Coast native brings fragrant summer blooms, glossy foliage, and pollinator appeal—even in the shadiest corners of your project.

Native from New York down the Eastern Seaboard, Summersweet grows 3’–8’ tall depending on the variety, with dense spikes of white or pink flowers that light up the landscape from July through August. Those blooms aren’t just pretty—they’re powerfully fragrant, attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds at a time when many other plants are starting to fade. After the flowers, dark brown seed capsules persist into winter, adding structure and seasonal interest.

What makes Summersweet stand out? It’s one of the few flowering shrubs that will bloom reliably in heavy shade. Naturally found along riverbanks, marshes, seashores, and woodlands, it’s incredibly adaptable—tolerating sun, shade, wet feet, and even salty air. That versatility makes it a go-to choice for rain gardens, woodland plantings, and naturalized borders.

Its dark green, serrated leaves add a lush backdrop during the growing season, and many cultivars even bring golden fall color before the leaves drop. Best of all, Summersweet’s upright clumping habit means it plays well with others, filling in shady or moist areas without becoming unruly.

Want a shrub that delivers late-season blooms, shade tolerance, and year-round interest—while giving pollinators a reason to stick around?

Summersweet proves that sometimes the sweetest plants are the most adaptable.