summersweet clethra Clethraceae Clethra alnifolia

Leaf:Alternate, simple, finely serrated margin, obovate, 2 to 3 1/2 inches long, glabrous, shiny dark green above, paler below.
Flower:Small white flowers occurring in dense clusters on long 3 to 6 inch terminal spikes, appearing in mid to late summer.
Fruit:Brown dry capsules, occurring in long clusters, persistent through the winter.
Twig:Slender and scruffy brown; buds with loose scales, the terminal is much larger than the laterals; leaf scar with one bundle scar.
Bark:Grayish, eventually separating into loose strips.
Form:Dense shrub up to 10 feet tall, often root suckers to form thickets.
leaf flower fruit twig bark form map
Notes: