Clethra alnifolia
My pick for June's Wildflower Wednesday is one of the most industrious shrubs in our summer garden, Clethra alnifolia , commonly referred to as summersweet. This stunning shrub is thriving in our rain garden as well as a few other garden beds. We grow the straight species, which adorns white blooms and 'Ruby Spice' with pink flowers. Preferring moist soil, this shrub is found naturally along stream banks, marshes and swampy woodland areas. Clethra alnifolia 'ruby spice' in rain garden with rudbeckia and Southern Shield fern Blooming in July, it provides high quality nectar and pollen that brings in the pollinators. This is a great option for smaller gardens because it attracts such a wide variety of bees, wasps, butterflies, flies and hummingbirds. [more bang for your buck] I enjoy observing all the pollinator activity on the blooms. Large wasps lurch themselves from one flower to the next. Butterflies are more graceful in their approach, gliding gently onto the f
