Clethra acuminata – Cinnamonbark Clethra

From the southern Appalachians comes this relative of our native Summersweet, C. alnifolia. We’ve been growing it for a number of years so it appears completely cold hardy in our area, perhaps a bit marginal at higher elevations of the Catskills. Its most outstanding attribute is the striking, burnished cinnamon, tan, purple and brown exfoliating bark that develops on the trunk and lower branches of this large shrub/small tree. The white flowers are lightly fragrant.