Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F
Devoted gardeners will recognize Clethra (Summersweet) as an indispensable native flowering shrub. From experience growing this plant in my own garden, 'Ruby Spice' is a distinctive cultivar that produces an abundance of true, deep-pink, non-fading, bottlebrush-like, extremely fragrant flower spikes that are the prettiest and longest blooming I've seen on any Clethra. The flowers begin to appear in mid-summer. The blossom clusters are racemes up to 6 inches long that have a nice fragrance and are irresistible to butterflies and hummingbirds. I've found Ruby Spice to be a very easy to grow plant. It prefers part shade and average to moist soils here in mid-Georgia.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Planting
Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers part shade and consistently moist, acidic, sandy soils. Soils should not be allowed to dry out. Tolerates clay soils. Tolerates full shade. Promptly remove root suckers unless naturalized look is desired.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Pruning
Clethra 'Ruby Spice' requires no pruning. If you want to prune a stray or broken branch off the shrub you can do this any time of year, preferably after it has finished blooming or in late winter before new growth has emerged. If you don't want this plant to naturalize into a patch remove suckers as needed.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Feeding
I feed Clethra with a natural plant food after new growth has emerged in early spring.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Problems
I've seen no disease or insect problems at all with Clethra 'Ruby Spice'. Do not allow soil to dry completely out. This Clethra prefers consistently moist soil. If you don't want this plant to naturalize into a patch remove suckers as needed.