Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird'
white alder 'Hummingbird'
'Hummingbird' is a compact shrub, up to 1.2m high, with glossy dark green leaves which turn yellow in autumn. Many feathery spikes of sweetly clove-scented white flowers appear in mid- to late summer
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Size
Ultimate height
1–1.5 metresTime to ultimate height
5–10 yearsUltimate spread
1–1.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
AcidColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | White | Green | ||
| Autumn | Yellow | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Partial shade
Aspect
North–facing or West–facing or South–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Clethraceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Suckering
- Genus
Clethra can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs, sometimes with attractive bark, with simple leaves and small, fragrant, usually white, bell-shaped flowers in racemes or panicles
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in humus-rich, moist, well-drained, lime-free soil in dappled shade, in the shelter of an open woodland garden or a lightly-shaded shrub border; after pruning, mulch with well-rotted leaf mould
Propagation
Propagate by division of suckers, by heeled semi-ripe cuttings of lateral shoots in summer, or by layering in late autumn or early spring
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Low Maintenance
Pruning
Pruning group 1; in winter, remove some of the older stems, leaving the strongest suckers; cut off old flowerheads in spring
Pests
Generally pest-free
Diseases
Generally disease-free
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.