Copy permalink to share
Clethraceae
Clethra

Clethra tomentosa Lamarck. Common name: Downy Sweet-pepperbush, Downy White-alder. Habitat: Pocosins, swamps, streambanks. Distribution: E. SC south to FL, and west to e. LA (east of the Mississippi River).

Glossary (beta!)

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Taxonomy Comments: If recognized at varietal rank, the correct name is var. pubescens Aiton, which predates var. tomentosa (Lamarck) Michaux (Sleumer 1967b, Wilbur 1970b).

Synonymy ⓘ: = FNA8, NS, POWO, S, S13; = Clethra alnifolia L. var. pubescens Aiton — K4, Sleumer (1967b); = Clethra alnifolia L. var. tomentosa (Lam.) Michx. — RAB, illegitimate; < Clethra alnifolia L. — Fl5, GW2, WH3. Basionym: Clethra tomentosa Lam. 1786

Links to other floras: = Clethra tomentosa - FNA8

Show in key(s)

Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)

Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Great Plains: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Heliophily ⓘ: 7

Your browser does not support SVGs

Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.

image of plant© Alvin Diamond, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alvin Diamond source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plantno rights reserved, uploaded by Alan Weakley source CC0 | Original Image ⭷
image of plantno rights reserved, uploaded by Alan Weakley source CC0 | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alvin Diamond, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alvin Diamond source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Emily Oglesby | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Eric M Powell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric M Powell source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Eric M Powell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric M Powell source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Eric M Powell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric M Powell source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alvin Diamond, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alvin Diamond source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Eric M Powell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric M Powell source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Joshua Doby, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Joshua Doby source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Emily Oglesby | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Eric M Powell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric M Powell source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷

Feedback

See something missing or incorrect about Clethra tomentosa? Let us know here:

  1. Please include your name and if possible, email in case when need to clarify what you wrote.
  2. If you opt out of including email, please be as specific as possible (e.g., which photo is incorrect?)
  3. Please do not submit questions asking to identify plants or about horticultural topics (e.g., how do I control an invasive plant in my garden?). Instead, those questions can be submitted here for the Carolinas region only.
  4. Please do not send us feedback about unkeyed species as this work is ongoing.
  5. Please allow time for flora edits to show in our next data release. We greatly appreciate your feedback but may require extra time to research complicated taxonomic issues.

Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro:

Stems:

Leaves:

Inforescence:

Flowers:

Fruits:

Comments:

Height: 3-6 ft.

plant sale text: Downy sweet-pepperbush blooms profusely in late summer. The spikes of white flowers will grow up to 16 inches and produce an intoxicating fragrance that entices people as well as pollinators. Many butterflies are attracted to the nectar of its flowers as well as hummingbirds. This adaptable species is easily grown anywhere in sun to light shade, as long as it is planted in soil that retains some moisture. It will form colonies in moist acidic soil. Clethra tometosa is very heat tolerant. The Clethra genus supports up to 9 lepidoptera species.

bloom table text:

description:

stems:

leaves:

inflorescence:

flowers:

fruits:

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: FL, GA, LA, MS, NC & SC



0 unsaved edits on this page.