Clethra alnifolia

Clethra alnifolia is a native shrub, predominantly found in the southeastern coastal plain, but extending into the Piedmont. It naturally occurs in pocosins, swamps, and wet forests. It can be cultivated in deep shade to full sun, and prefers soils that are moist to wet and well drained. It produces white fragrant flowers in the late summer, which are important to pollinators and hummingbirds. Songbirds and small mammals eat the fruits in the fall. Clethra alnifolia can sucker and form colonies. It works well when grown in a yard as a border or part of a rain garden, or for restoration projects.