Plant of the Week: Clethra

Vanilla Spice® summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)

August is when you notice things that you otherwise overlook. Like graham crackers. If you don't have a preschooler in the house you probably don't buy them regularly. But when August rolls around and you realize that s'more season is drawing to a close, you go on a mission to the cookie aisle.

Clethra (summersweet) is kind of like that, too. Not being a super showy plant in spring, it can be overlooked by the casual garden center shopper. That's too bad, because the fragrance of Clethra flowers is as sweet and enjoyable as the most perfect campfire s'more.

Sugartina® 'Crystalina' summersweet

Sugartina® 'Crystalina' Clethra alnifolia is an improved 'Hummingbird' with a consistent, dense habit and dark green foliage. It's a tidy little mound that fits nicely into most landscapes without needing pruning.

While Sugartina® 'Crystalina' has lots of fragrant white summer flowers, if you want something even showier check out Vanilla Spice®. It has huge blooms whose flowers are roughly double the size of typical Clethra flowers.

The blooms of Vanilla Spice summersweet
are double the typical size.

Sugartina® 'Crystalina' Clethra grows 2.5-3' tall and wide and makes a great mass planting or groundcover. At 3-6' tall, Vanilla Spice® Clethra is better as a hedge than a groundcover, although either can be tucked into the landscape as a specimen or small group. Both are hardy to USDA Zone 4 and will grow in full sun or partial shade.

I was happy to see lots of Clethra when I visited the Boston area earlier this summer. Landscape designers know the value of this native plant: it's hardy, and tolerates clay soil, wet soil, shade - just about anything you throw at it. That makes it tremendously useful for purpose-driven landscapes like rain gardens or naturalized areas. But the compact varieties hold their own for gardens planted solely for aesthetic reasons. Seriously, who wouldn't want a mound of showy, fragrant flowers in summer? Your butterfly friends will enjoy it as much as you do.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Jazz Hands Loropetalum

Go ahead - show us your moves: jazz hands, that is. (Not to be confused with spirit fingers, which are kind of creepy.) Seriously, the best part about naming a plant "jazz hands" is that people are compelled to do them while they talk about the plants. Since I tend to talk with my hands all the time it seems only natural to me.

Jazz Hands® Loropetalum have both great foliage color and intense flower color. The flowers, of course, are distinctive fringy blooms that inspired the Jazz Hands® name.

The blooms of Jazz Hands® Bold are the largest of any Loropetalum.

You can go big and Jazz Hands® Bold, or keep it on the down low with Jazz Hands® Mini. In between are Jazz Hands® Dwarf Pink and Jazz Hands® Dwarf White. And for something totally different, Jazz Hands® Variegated. All are hardy to USDA Zone 7b and will grow in full sun or part shade. Size does vary, so check out the individual varieties before planting them.

Hot pink flowers are an afterthought to the eye-catching foliage of Jazz Hands® Variegated Loropetalum.

Jazz Hands® go coast to coast.

Not completely, of course. They aren't too happy here in Michigan unless overwintered in a greenhouse (but make a sweet little patio plant). Loropetalum need a milder climate than ours, so I need to travel to see them in landscapes.

Not only does Jazz Hands®Dwarf White have a compact and versatile size, it is also the only rebloomer of the group.

I saw quite a few of them while in Northern California last week. Visiting California is always fun, for a number of reasons. But the reason that pays the bills is seeing how well many of our plants grow in the region. Jazz Hands®, Lo & Behold® Buddleia, Little Quick Fire® Hydrangea paniculata - these are just a few of the plants I saw in landscapes. Season-long color takes on a whole different meaning when your season is pretty much year round.

Great groundcover: Jazz Hands® Mini Loropetalum remains under a foot tall.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Polite Buddleia

'Miss Molly' butterfly bush

With names like 'Miss Ruby' and 'Miss Violet', you would expect these varieties to be a bit more genteel than the hoolligan Buddleia of the past. And they are: compact, so they don't overwhelm the garden, and non-invasive so they don't produce unwanted seedlings.

Lest you think that refined Buddleia with good etiquette are missing the vibrant color and heady fragrance of traditional cultivars, rest assured that these well-bred ladies have all of the passionate hues and butterfly appeal of the old-fashioned plants. In fact, I'd say that the color is even better.

'Miss Violet' butterfly bush

'Miss Violet' has rich, Welch's grape juice purple flowers. Unlike grape juice, it doesn't stain, so you can let your three year old walk around with it.

Color comparison for 'Miss Ruby', 'Royal Red', and 'Miss Molly': 'Miss Molly' is the reddest Buddleia available.

'Miss Ruby' and 'Miss Molly' push the red color as far as we've seen Buddleia go. 'Miss Ruby' is a delightful fuchsia, while 'Miss Molly' is a dark magenta-sangria red. The red color will be more intense in warmer climates. And if you need something cool and refreshing for a summer evening garden, check out 'Miss Pearl' with her crisp white blooms.

'Miss Pearl' butterfly bush

All are hardy to USDA Zone 5 and will do best in full sun. They grown 4-5' tall and wide, and have nice full habits that are very attractive both in containers and in the garden.

The basics of Buddleia

First off, full sun and well-drained soil. There's no way around these two requirements. If you don't have well-drained soil, consider growing them in a container. The dwarf Lo & Behold® or Pugster® plants are good choices for container plantings.

Secondly, USDA Zone 5. You can grow them further north as annuals. If you're growing them in a container, consider them to be an annual as well unless you are in a very mild (Zone 6 or better yet 7) climate.

And then there's heat. We've been having some very warm weather here in West Michigan, and while the people and my poor dog aren't enjoying it, the butterfly bushes are loving every minute.

Buddleia has some wonderful qualities, like the aforementioned affinity for heat. While other plants are wilting, these characters are strutting their stuff in the summer landscape. Then there's the fragrance: when you walk towards a planting of Buddleia it's like being approached by a perfume demonstrator at the department store. Only with the plant there's no judgement of your grubby gardening clothes and no pressure to buy. And then there's the deer resistance. Yes, they attract butterflies and don't attract deer. What a combination!

'Miss Ruby' butterfly bush

In some areas they can be a nuisance, but new non-invasive varieties like the 'Miss' and Lo & Behold® series are sterile and so better choices for these areas. They are permitted for sale in Oregon, so our friends in the Northwest can enjoy Buddleia too!

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles