Clethra alnifolia ‘Sixteen Candles’
$54.99
Clethra Alnifolia Sixteen Candles is a compact deciduous shrub with fragrant upright white racemes, glossy green leaves and yellow autumn color.
- Description
- Additional information
Description
Clethra Alnifolia Sixteen Candles is a compact, upright summersweet selected for erect candle-like flower racemes and a refined bushy outline.
Glossy serrated green leaves clothe several basal stems, then turn clear yellow to golden brown before falling in autumn.
Sweetly fragrant creamy white blooms open in July and August, attracting bees and butterflies to shaded rain gardens and moist borders.
Across USDA zones 4-9, provide sheltered partial or dappled shade and consistently moist, humus-rich acidic soil that drains well.
Additional information
| Height | 120 cm – 150 cm |
|---|---|
| Spread | 60 cm – 90 cm |
| Flowering months | July, August |
| Synonyms | Clethra alnifolia 'Sixteen Candles' |
| Family | Clethraceae |
| Propagation | Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer, taking healthy non-flowering shoots and rooting them in a moist, free-draining medium. |
| Pests | Generally pest-free, although spider mites may appear when plants are kept too dry; consistent soil moisture reduces this risk. |
| Diseases | Generally disease-free and reported resistant to Phytophthora root rot when properly sited; avoid prolonged waterlogging around the crown. |
| Pruning | Prune in late winter by removing dead or weak stems and taking selected oldest wood to the base; retain the strongest suckers for renewal or remove them to limit spread. |
| Hazardous information | No specific toxic hazard is identified in the authoritative profiles used here; this ornamental shrub is not presented as edible and normal garden hygiene applies. |
| Hazardous | no |
| Variegated | no |
| Watering instructions | Keep acidic soil consistently moist and never let it dry out. |
| Sunlight instructions | Give partial or dappled shade; full shade is also tolerated. |
| Color flower summer | White, Cream |
| Aspect | East, South, West, North |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Habit | Bushy, Columnar upright, Compact, Suckering |
| Moisture | Wet or Damp Soil, Moist but Well Drained |
| Ph | Acid |
| Position | Full shade, Partial shade, Light shade |
| Scent | Fragrant |
| Shape | Oval, Upright |
| Suggest planting location | Woodland Garden, Shade Garden, Wildlife friendly gardens, Rain Garden, Fragrant Garden |
| Type | Shrub |
| Use for | Sensory, Low maintenance, Pollinator-Friendly |
| Years to max height | 5 |
| Drought resistance | no |
| Soil | Clay, Loam, Sand |
| Local names | Sixteen Candles Summersweet, Sixteen Candles Sweet Pepperbush, Sixteen Candles White Alder, Silberkerzenstrauch 'Sixteen Candles' |
| Blomidon Item No | MO23029749, CLEALSIC0003G |