This store requires javascript to be enabled for some features to work correctly.

Regular mail orders are back with Canada Post! For pickup in Montreal: Use the promo code ramassagemtl to waive delivery fees and let us know that you would like to pick up your order with our friends at Atelier Tonic!
Account
Semences de clèthre à feuilles d'aulne - clethra alnifolia
Semences de clèthre à feuilles d'aulne - clethra alnifolia
Semences de clèthre à feuilles d'aulne - clethra alnifolia
Semences de clèthre à feuilles d'aulne - clethra alnifolia
On sale

Seeds - Sweet Pepperbush

Clethra alnifolia

Minimum 30 semences par enveloppe

$4.25

$4.25
( / )
Harvest year

Semences par gramme: 4 286

Année de récolte: 2024


Catégories: bandes riveraines, nectarifère, résiste aux cerfs, vivace,

Aire de répartition indigène: NS,

Click here to be notified by email when Seeds - Sweet Pepperbush becomes available.

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

For successful seedlings,
see the growing notes at the bottom of the page!

Coastal sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia) is a shrub valued for its fragrant white flower spikes, which attract a wide variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies, during the summer. It can reach around 1.5 metres in height, forming thickets thanks to its suckering roots. This shrub is particularly well-suited to moist soils, making it an excellent choice for garden borders, wet areas, or the edges of water bodies. It is highly resilient to challenging conditions, including Quebec winters (up to zone 4), and is remarkably free of diseases, insects, or physiological issues. Its dried fruit capsules, which persist long after flowering, provide interest for seed-eating birds, extending the plant's ornamental and ecological benefits beyond the blooming season.

Ecological Roles
Coastal sweet pepperbush plays an important role in the ecosystems where it is introduced, particularly in Quebec. Its fragrant flowers provide an essential nectar source for bees and butterflies, while its dried fruit capsules feed seed-eating birds after the flowering season. With its suckering roots, this shrub also helps stabilize wet soils, making it ideal for preventing erosion in marshy environments. Additionally, its ability to form dense thickets provides shelter for small wildlife. Disease-resistant and requiring minimal maintenance, this shrub is a reliable choice for naturalistic gardens and ecological landscaping.

Akène cannot assume any responsibility for the use of plants for therapeutic purposes. Always seek advice from a professional before using a medicinal or edible plant.

Growing Notes | Seeds - Sweet Pepperbush

Sweet pepperbush, like other species with very small seeds, requires light and high humidity to ensure successful germination. Therefore, it is much easier to start the seeds indoors rather than attempting outdoor sowing.

Sprinkle the seeds on the surface of a well-moistened seed-starting mix with a high peat moss content, or create your own mix using one part peat moss, one part perlite, and two parts seed-starting soil. Lightly spray the seeds with water to ensure good contact with the soil. Cover the container with a plastic dome (or place it in a plastic bag) and position it under grow lights. Set the lights to be on for 16 hours a day.

Once the seeds have germinated, vent the plastic dome or make an opening in the bag to allow some air circulation, but ensure the soil mix doesn’t dry out. After a few weeks, when the seedlings have developed their first true leaves, give them a light dose of fertilizer (fish hydrolysate is ideal) and carefully drain any excess water before replacing the plastic dome.

This method maintains the high humidity needed, but be cautious not to create conditions conducive to damping-off disease. The use of peat moss helps lower the pH of the substrate, making it less likely for fungi to thrive in a more acidic environment.

Seedlings can be divided and transplanted individually when they reach about 1 inch in height, at which point they no longer need the plastic dome.

Sweet pepperbush grows quickly and should begin flowering within 2 to 3 years.
Typical germination rate for this genus: 30% to 50%.

Seeds per packet: 30

Family: Clethraceae

Scientific name: Clethra alnifolia

Life cycle: Perennial

Hardiness zone: 4

Soil type: Silty

Soil moisture level: Medium to humid

Soil - additional attributes: Acid

Light: Sun, partial shade

Blooming: July to September

Spacing: 100 cm

Height: 120 cm

Deer resistance: High

Stratification: No

Scarification: No

Germination time: 20 days

Sowing depth: Surface