A Dwarf Summersweet Packed with Fragrance

Crystalina Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia 'Crystalina', sold as Sugartina) brings all the sweet, spicy perfume of classic summersweet down to a neat, knee-high package. Upright white flower spikes cover the plant in mid to late summer, filling shady, damp corners with scent at a time when little else is blooming. Compact and slow to sprawl, it's a perfect fit for smaller Eden Prairie, Plymouth, and Eagan yards and tight foundation beds.

Landscape Uses

Crystalina's tidy, compact habit makes it ideal for rain gardens, low fragrant hedges, and shaded entry beds where you want scent up close. It pairs beautifully with hostas, astilbe, and ferns, and turns warm yellow in fall.

Best Time to Plant

Plant in spring through early fall. A spring planting takes advantage of Minnesota's moist soils, and planting at least six weeks before hard frost lets roots establish before winter.

How to Plant

Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. Set the crown level with the soil, backfill, water in well, and mulch 2–3 inches deep while keeping mulch off the stems.

Watering

First Year: Water deeply 2–3 times per week and never let the soil dry out completely.
After Year One: Water weekly, more during heat. It thrives in moisture and tolerates wet soil.
Drip Irrigation: A soaker hose or drip line keeps the root zone evenly moist all summer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big does Crystalina get?
It stays compact at roughly 2.5–3 feet tall and wide, making it one of the smallest summersweets available.

Is it hardy here?
Yes, it's rated to Zone 3 and overwinters reliably throughout Minnesota.

Will it bloom in shade?
Yes. It flowers best in sun to part shade but tolerates shade better than most flowering shrubs.

Is it deer resistant?
Yes, deer typically avoid summersweet.

You May Also Like

Combine Crystalina with our other compact, shade-tolerant shrubs, or explore the full Summersweet lineup for taller and pink-flowering options.

How Many Crystalina Summersweets Do I Need?

For a low fragrant hedge or rain-garden mass, space plants 2.5 feet apart so the knee-high mounds knit together:

By an entry or patio where you'll catch the scent, a group of 3 spaced 2.5 feet apart is the sweet spot.

Crystalina Summersweet Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: Leafs out late — don't panic in May; glossy green foliage fills in by early June.
• Summer: The payoff — upright white flower spikes in July–August release a sweet, spicy perfume and hum with bees and butterflies when little else blooms in shade.
• Fall: Foliage turns a warm clear yellow, bright even in part shade.
• Winter: Tidy, compact twig structure with small seed capsules; rated to zone 3, so it shrugs off Minnesota winters with no protection.

At a Glance

✔ Pollinator-Friendly   ✔ Deer-Resistant   ✔ Rain-Garden / Wet-Soil   ✔ Shade-Tolerant

Plant It With

• Ruby Spice Summersweet — the deep-pink, taller cousin for a two-tone fragrant backdrop.
• Hummingbird Summersweet — another compact white selection to extend a low fragrant hedge affordably.
• Vanilla Spice Summersweet — extra-large flower spikes for the back of the same damp bed.
• Creme de Mint Dogwood — variegated foliage that brightens the same moist, part-shade corner before and after clethra bloom.

Is Crystalina Summersweet Right for Your Yard?

Crystalina is the answer for damp, shady spots that defeat most flowering shrubs — rain gardens, downspout beds, north-side foundations — anywhere with steady moisture and sun to part shade. Deer leave it alone and pollinators flock to it. It's not a fit for hot, dry, sandy sites: summersweet sulks without consistent moisture, so skip it where you can't water through a drought.