{"product_id":"ruby-spice-summersweet","title":"Ruby Spice Summersweet","description":"\u003ch1\u003eFragrant Deep-Pink Blooms for Shady, Wet Minnesota Gardens\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRuby Spice Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice') brings rich, deep-pink fragrant flower spikes to late summer — the darkest pink of any summersweet, holding their color without fading. Like all summersweet it's a pollinator magnet that thrives in the shady, moist spots where most flowering shrubs sulk, finishing with golden fall color. Whether you're scenting a shaded rain garden in Edina, adding late color to a part-shade border in Woodbury, or planting for pollinators in Maple Grove — Ruby Spice brings fragrance and life to zone 4b–5a yards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eRuby Spice Summersweet Plant Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"mce-item-table\"\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eAttribute\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eDetail\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScientific Name\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eClethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice'\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCommon Names\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSummersweet, Sweet Pepperbush, Ruby Spice Summersweet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Height\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4–6 feet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Width\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4–5 feet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eModerate — upright, rounded; suckers mildly\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFull sun to part shade. One of the best flowering shrubs for shade; afternoon shade is welcome.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eModerate to high. Loves consistent moisture and tolerates wet soil — excellent for rain gardens.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Zones\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4–9 (Twin Cities is zone 4b–5a) — hardy here\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePrefers moist, acidic, organic-rich soil; tolerates Minnesota clay-loam. Amend alkaline soil with compost.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDeciduous — glossy green leaves turning clear yellow in fall.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinter Hardiness\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReliable to -30°F. Hardy in the Twin Cities.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeer Resistance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDeer-resistant — a good choice for high-pressure areas.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSpikes of fragrant deep-pink flowers in mid-to-late summer; a magnet for bees and butterflies.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eRuby Spice Summersweet Uses in Minnesota Landscapes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eShade and wet spots\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the few fragrant flowering shrubs for shade and wet soil, Ruby Spice shines in a shaded rain garden, low spot, or part-shade border under trees in Edina or Minnetonka.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLate color and pollinators\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts deep-pink, sweetly scented spikes fill the late-summer gap and draw bees and butterflies near a patio or path in Woodbury or Plymouth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBorders and foundations\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 4–6 feet it anchors a part-shade border or foundation, with golden fall color to follow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBest Time to Plant Ruby Spice Summersweet in Minnesota\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFall (late August–early October) is the ideal planting window. Soil is still warm for root development, cool air reduces transplant stress, and the plant gets 6–8 weeks to establish roots before ground freeze (typically mid-November in the Twin Cities).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpring (late April–May, after the ground thaws) is the second-best window, giving the shrub a full season to establish before its first winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAvoid summer planting (June–August) when possible. Never plant after mid-October or before late April — frozen ground or frost-heaving kills new roots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow to Plant Ruby Spice Summersweet\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDig wide, not deep — 2–3× the root ball width, same depth as the container.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt loves moist, even wet soil, so low and rain-garden spots are ideal; part shade is welcome.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBackfill with native soil mixed with 20–30% compost; it prefers acidic, organic-rich soil.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpace 4 feet apart for a mass; it may sucker mildly to form a colony.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuild a water basin to direct water to the roots; flatten it before winter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMulch 2–3 inches with shredded bark, kept off the stems. Prune in early spring if needed — it blooms on new wood.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWatering Ruby Spice Summersweet in Minnesota\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFirst Year Watering Schedule\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeeks 1–2: Every 1–2 days, deep and slow (15–25 minutes)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMonth 1–2: Every 2–3 days\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMonth 3–6: Every 3–5 days; never let it dry out — it prefers steady moisture\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStop watering 2–3 weeks before ground freeze (typically late October in the Twin Cities metro).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAfter Year One\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEstablished summersweet prefers consistent moisture and tolerates wet soil — water deeply during dry spells; in a rain garden it often needs no supplemental water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDrip Irrigation in Minnesota\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf used, place emitters 12–18 inches from the crown and keep the root zone evenly moist. Always winterize the system — blow out the lines before freeze and shut timers off by early October.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow is Ruby Spice different from white summersweet?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has the deepest pink flowers of any summersweet, and the color holds without fading — plus the same sweet fragrance and pollinator appeal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it grow in shade and wet soil?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — it's one of the best fragrant flowering shrubs for shade and thrives in moist to wet soil, ideal for rain gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen does it bloom?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMid-to-late summer, filling the bloom gap after spring shrubs finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it deer-resistant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — deer generally pass it by.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eYou May Also Like\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSixteen Candles Summersweet — a compact white-flowered summersweet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHummingbird Summersweet — a dwarf white summersweet for small spaces\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShop the full Three Timbers Minnesota catalog — zone 4-hardy plants hand-selected for Twin Cities yards\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Three Timbers Minnesota","offers":[{"title":"#2 Gallon","offer_id":54307429024049,"sku":null,"price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"#5 Gallon","offer_id":54307429056817,"sku":null,"price":31.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0986\/0694\/0465\/files\/ruby-spice-summersweet.jpg?v=1779567570","url":"https:\/\/threetimbersmn.com\/products\/ruby-spice-summersweet","provider":"Three Timbers Minnesota","version":"1.0","type":"link"}