Sugartina® 'Crystalina' Summersweet (Clethra)
Shrub
- Summer flowers have a sweet, intoxicating fragrance!
- Glossy green foliage turns bright yellow in fall.
- Landscape-friendly dwarf habit.
- Deer resistant and easy to grow.
- Zones 4-9, sun/part sun/shade, 3' tall x 4' wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Details
Patent: USPP 21,561
Common name: Summersweet, Clethra
Zone: 4 - 9
Sun exposure: Sun (> 6 hours sun) to part-sun (4-6 hours sun)
Height x width: 2.5-3' tall and 3-4' wide
Flower color: White
Foliage color: Glossy green
Season of interest: Summer-fall
Bloom time: Summer
Features: Wet soils, space savers, Proven Winners, native, low flammability, heat tolerant, fragrant, fall color, deer resistant, cold tolerant
Uses: Specimen, flower gardens, backdrop, landscaping, pollinator gardens, wildlife gardens, native plant gardens
How to Grow
Light: Sun (> 6 hours sun) to part-sun (4-6 hours sun) to shade (<4 hours direct sun/day).
Water: Moderate to wet.
Space: Min. 3' apart
Fertilizing: Little fertilizer is needed.
Winterizing: No special treatment is required. A 2-3" layer of shredded bark mulch is recommended.
Maintenance: No special care is required. Trim as needed in early spring.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
One died and the other is on
Hello! We're sorry to hear you've had trouble with your new plants. Please email pictures of the plants to [email protected] , making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we have a 60-day guarantee on all our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we would be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
https://butterflybushes.com/pages/our-guarantee
I almost upended the otherwise healthy plants removing the plastic literally hog tied to their plastic pots. It required sharp kitchen scissors to cut away the plastic from the stem, and wire cutters to remove the hog-stapled plastic from the pot. A better way that other online nurseries use is zip tying the plastic to the the stem ... one snip and its free, no soil spilled, no pot cut open, no displeased and frustrated customer.
Hello! We appreciate your honest feedback, and will take this into consideration moving forward. We do recommend gardeners simply cut around the staple to keep the plant unharmed, but we do understand that this can be challenging. Our packaging has to be secure enough to get your plants to their new home safely, so that's what we prioritize!
Ordered 2 plants and one arrived withered and dying. I contacted GGP immediately with pictures of the dying plant and heard nothing. I planted it anyway, hoping there was some chance of recovery, but it ultimately completely died. I included pictures of before and after and still heard nothing from GGP. I wasted $40 for nothing. Never again.
Hi Carrie, we're really sorry to hear about your experience. This isn't the quality we aim for, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Our friendly customer service team is working hard to get to your email. We ask for patience as we are helping other customers. Thank you for your feedback. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
I ordered 2 of the Sugartina Crystalina plants and one arrived dry and withered with brown leaves. It was obvious it was on its last leg. I took a picture and sent a request for replacement but have heard nothing. I planted it anyway but it is now completely dead and totally brown and crispy to the touch. Will not order from here again.
Hello! It is common for plants to experience slight stress from shipping, as they have not experienced their ideal growing conditions at this time. We recommend placing plants in a cool, shaded spot out of direct sunlight for 24-48 hours after unpacking them. This allows them a recovery and acclimation period before planting. If you must hold them longer, place them out of direct sunlight, wind, heat, and cold, and plant as soon as possible. Please email your order number and pictures of your plants to [email protected] to start the claims process, and we can make sure your plants are on the right track! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
Tiny plants - barely alive
We’re sorry you’re not satisfied with your plants! On each product page and our plant sizes page, we note that all of our plants are young. The size of our plants varies depending on the time of year and whether they were recently trimmed. The most important thing when purchasing plants, online or in garden centers, is a full and robust root system, which we prioritize. Trimming only encourages stronger root development! All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee, so please reach out to [email protected] to start the claims process if necessary.
I’m sure that if we had warmer weather and fewer frost warnings, the plants would have been ahead. They are showing strong signs of vitality in the past week.
I wanted bushes that would bloom and do well in a small place. These are so healthy, already growing well. I can’t wait to see them bloom.
All our thriving after just 2 weeks.
I put it in a shady spot, watered it regularly, and it died.
We're sorry you're having trouble with your plants. Our team of horticulture experts would love to take a closer look! Please contact us at [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants so we can better assist you. All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/bb-guaranteed
Too early to tell its success, but I can confirm it definitely has taken hold and felt at home in my full-shade garden! Love this site and their information/knowledge/clarity. Will purchase form again.
I planted three of these summersweet shrubs last year at our lake house. They were healthy when they arrived and seemed to do well before we left for the winter. Returning just yesterday, they have completely disappeared. No evidence of them at all. What do you think might have happened?
Hello! While we can't be sure of exactly what happened to your plants. it could be possible deer damage. In areas that experience high deer traffic, it can be common for deer to eat anything in sight. Please contact [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants so we may provide the best assistance. All orders are covered by our 60 day guarantee. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
Packaged very carefully and well, fast shipping and healthy plants!
Can’t really comment on the plants. Ordered 2, both white stressed from shipping upon delivery. One struggling and not sure it will survive. The other is completely dead. I sent a message to the company asking for replacements; have not gotten a response yet.
So no actual plants to review yet.
We're sorry you're unsatisfied with your plants. After reviewing your order, it seems that we have gotten in contact with you regarding your order. Referring back to our response, we advised that they should bounce back, but to continue keeping a eye on them. If this is no longer the case, our team of horticulture experts would love to take another look at updated photos of the plants. Please contact us at [email protected] with your order number and updated photos of the plants. We are more than happy to apply your warrany once we receive the updated pictures! Happy gardening!
You Guys are Awesome! I just love my Beautiful plants. Thanks so much you guys are the best.
I ordered five Summersweet plants. They were shipped and arrived in a timely manner, were very well packaged and all appeared healthy upon arrival. However, before we had planted them one of the five developed blackened leaves. We planted them and all five are still alive. However, the one that lost several leaves is struggling. It has developed some new leaves near the bottom where the original leaves were lost but it is visually in poorer shape than the other four. They are all planted along the Southwest side of our home in rock mulch that gets about five hours of sun dappled with shade each day. We are keeping them watered and we have also had plenty of rain.
Hopefully, they will all develop into nice shrubs.
We appreciate your feedback! Our team of horticulture experts would love to investigate further. Please contact [email protected] with your order number and photos of the plants. Rest assured, all orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee. We look forward to helping!
I bought four of these bushes and three came in healthy with multiple branches with leaves; however, one was pretty pitiful with only two leaves. I planted all four and the three look great, while the forth looks pretty sad. It has new leaves, but I am worried about it.
Hello! We're sorry that you're not completely satisfied with your plants. Rest assured, we have a 60-day guarantee on all of our orders. Our customer service team would love to help. Please email us at [email protected] with photos of the plants and your order number. We look forward to assisting you! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
Clethra Sugartina®'Crystalina' - Summersweet
My plants shipped quickly and arrived fast and healthy.I let them set on my deck in the shade for two days and then planted them in the prepared soil.They are doing great and have new growth!
I ordered two. Both arrived in good health and are thriving even though I still haven't planted them yet due to the heat. I have the pots in a shady spot, getting near daily water until I can plant. In the meantime, both have put on new growth.
Clethra Sugartina®'Crystalina' - Summersweet
ordered 6 plants, when arrived 2 appeared to have been dried out, others were well packed in good shape. as expected the two didn't make 4 are stable
Hello! We apologize that you received plants that are not up to our standards. While we try our best to provide exceptional service, some factors, like shipping and handling, are outside our control, and issues like this can sometimes happen. Please email pictures of the plants to [email protected]. Rest assured, we have a 60-day guarantee on all our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we would be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
Still growing
I ordered 3 of the Sugartina Summersweet. Came packaged very well with damp soil. One of the plants upon arrival did not look the best but planted it with the other two to see if it would be ok. It ended up not thriving so I contacted the online support that evening. By the next morning already had a message that they would be shipping a new replacement out to me. It arrived the follow week and all 3 are doing great! I’m very happy and impressed with the excellent customer service they provided me.
I'd give a 5 star, but I received 1 clethra that was pretty worse for wear, and she is still not thriving as her two sisters are. I generally plant in groups of 3. Can't wait to see what they do next summer in my moonlight garden
This little plant arrived perfectly packaged and ready to be planted in her new home. Although a little smaller than I thought, she made up for her diminutive size with her glossy, full leaves and full root system. How do I add a picture to my review? I am soooo pleased and will definitely be ordering again. Highly recommend!!
They are starting to bloom. Can’t wait.
We're so happy to hear that your plant is starting to bloom! Be sure to share pictures with us, we'd love to see it. Happy gardening!