Sugartina® Summersweet
Clethra alnifolia 'Crystalina'
- Stay Protected with Plant Sentry ™
Sugartina® Summersweet - #1 Container is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
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Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
From | To | S&H |
---|---|---|
$0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
$20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
$50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
$70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
$100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
$130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
$150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Sugartina® Summersweet highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Brand
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Botanical Name
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Growing Zones
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Mature Height
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Mature Spread
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Sun ExposureFull Sun
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Moisture
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Soil
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Growth RateMedium
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Fall Color
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Pollinator Friendly
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Pollinator Required
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Fragrant
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Pruning Time
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Bloom PeriodSummer, Fall
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Photos Provided ByProven Winners, Inc - www.provenwinners.com

Growing Zones 4-9
Fragrant Four-Season Native Sugartina® Summersweet
- Compact Selection
- Blooms When Other Shrubs Have Finished
- Sweet Fragrance
- Bottlebrush Flowers are Six Inches Long
- Wonderful support for Butterflies, Hummingbirds and Helpful Pollinators
- Cold Hardy and Heat Tolerant
- Modern Cultivar of Native Shrub
- Golden Fall Color
- Attracts Butterflies, Resists Deer
- Good Choice for Full Sun or Partial Shade
- Seldom Damaged by Deer
- Tolerates Periodically Damp Soils
- Salt Tolerant
Celebrate Midsummer's Eve with an annual evening soireé set amongst sweetly fragrant, arched blooms that reflect the moonlight. Create a light-hearted night of fun that your guests will look forward to all year!
Weave Sugartina® Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia 'Crystalina' PP# 21561) into your planting designs and patio containers. You'll love how their scented blooms reach their peak, just as most other flowering shrubs have faded for the season.
This lovely, low, rounded ornamental stays small, but is big on charm! Fragrant white flower spikes cover this dwarf shrub in the middle of summer...and continue to blooming into fall.
There will hardly be a moment that butterflies won't cover their long, floriferous racemes. Each blooms is composed of up to a hundred tiny true flowers that open from base to tip.
Hummingbirds and beneficial pollinators adore these six-inch spikes , too! They'll come back time and again to work each flower over, gathering nutrient-rich nectar.
Enjoy their excellent sweet scent that perfumes your entire yard! Never cloying, Sugartina Summersweet smells like fresh honey.
Grow plenty of these useful compact shrubs to boost your local ecology. You'll want to sneak a few of the eye-catching white blooms to use in cut flower arrangements, too!
Showy oblong leaves create a lush presentation even before the flowers appear. The leaves are glossy, dark green sun-catchers and grow remarkably long for such a petite plant.
As autumn arrives, Sugartina turns golden and copper to help set the stage for a pretty fall season. Those pristine Sugartina Summersweet flowers will give way to small capsules that look like dark brown peppercorns, giving rise to their native nickname "Sweet Pepperbush".
The decorative fruit persists to provide winter interest. It is a boon for songbirds, who eat the fruit during long cold months.
This is a great choice for beginners, as Sugartina Summersweet is generally a low maintenance shrub, ready to provide you with its array of ornamental features without a lot of work from you.
Sugartina has a rounded, dense nature, and tends to grow in a lovely, natural form without the need for much pruning. Add much-needed color and fragrance to your space...whether that's on your balcony or in a garden border.
Place your order for Sugartina Summersweet today. Please hurry, as this variety is highly sought after by avid gardeners across the country.
How to Use Sugartina® Summersweet in the Landscape
A compact plant this showy can be used just about anywhere! Add in its ability to withstand dappled shade and moist soils, and it becomes even more versatile.
Why not consider using large pots as centerpieces at your wedding? They make a very special gift plant raffle as a fun door prize.
Buy enough for yourself, too! Create a beautiful edging all along the front of low-maintenance shrub borders by planting two feet apart; measuring from the center of one to the center of the next.
Using this easy treatment will easily hide any "leggy" bare legs of taller deciduous shrubs. At the same time, you'll polish up the entire presentation with their lustrous foliage and long, fragrant flower spikes.
Sugartina's scented bloom makes it a perfect addition to use next to your patio or front entry. Place them as "Thrillers" in large containers on your porch to welcome guests in style.
This pollinator favorite is a great addition to Butterfly Gardens and Wildlife Gardens. Repeat them in your planting to tie the whole look together!
Native Clethra alnifolia can tolerate brief bouts of wet soil. Try them on the outskirts of planned Rain Gardens to filter runoff water before it hits the storm sewer.
The fragrant pure white flowers in midsummer are the perfect choice to brighten up the part sun and shade conditions of woodland gardens. Partner with Hosta and Astilbe and relish how the dark glossy foliage turns yellow in fall.
Grow them along your street or in coastal plantings. This durable choice tolerates salt and makes everyone happy!
#ProPlantTips for Care
These durable shrubs perform beautifully with at least four hours of sunlight a day. In hot climates, a bit of dappled shade in the afternoon is much appreciated!
Consistent watering is key to success, and especially critical for container-grown Sugartina. Mulch helps keep the root systems nice and cool...but always pull it back away from directly touching the stems.
Our expert growers use and recommend Nature Hills Root Booster when planting. The symbiotic ingredients continuously support the tiny feeder roots ability to access micronutrients over their whole life.
This petite plant blooms on new wood from the current season. Prune in early spring to correct shape, although it's unlikely you'll actually need to do this minor task every year.
Perfume your landscape with these pocket-sized native cultivars. You'll adore Sugartina Summersweet, and so will your local butterflies!
Order today!