A Variegated Shrub With a Long Season of Interest

I vividly remember my first encounter with Japanese summersweet ( Clethrabarbinervis , Zones 5–8 ) . The local arboretum had a few large matured specimens that I slip up across when they were start to flower in midsummer . I was taken with them at first sight . When compare to the more conversant and widely implant eastern U.S. nativeC. alnifolia , Nipponese summersweet towers above , becoming a turgid shrub or small tree , and it has much larger bloom . The Japanese summersweets in the arboretum were quondam , reaching about 12 to 15 fundament in summit , and they had 8 - inch - foresighted fragrant blossom spikes that graciously leaned to the side , create a cascading effect . The floral show was subaltern in my opinion , however ; it was the bark that originally drew my tending .

How does summersweet grow?

The erect , buxom , sinewy stems develop a beautiful patchwork of chestnut brown , leathery tan , and piano gray , and they flake and peel as they mature . These colorful stem make Nipponese summersweet utilitarian in the garden all class long . My first impression of these plants created a lasting love .

The delight I received from growing this species was surpassed only when I saw the delightfully variegate cultivar ‘ Takeda Nishiki ’ . This bright colored selection was found by the Japanese plant scientist Takeda Hisayoshi on Japan ’s Shiko Island many old age ago but is only now becoming usable to gardeners around the human beings . In spring the young leafage emerge brightly variegate in salmon pink , creamy white , and with a sputtering of jet . As the foliage matures , the pink tone give way to splashed pattern of white and green , with red petiole tie the leaf to the stem . The sweetly fragrant midsummer flowers emerge on pinkish stems that open to pure white .

Where to use summersweet in the garden

This outstanding variegated shrub grows more slowly than the specie , making it a useful plus for smaller urban garden . vernal plant life make excellent container specimen and can brighten any pot in a softly shaded localization . In my maritime Pacific Northwest climate , ‘ Takeda Nishiki ’ can be grow in full sun without damage to the foliage as long as it is not a hot smear and as long as the plant is water regularly during dry weather . In hotter climates it needs some shade to keep the foliage in its prime through the growing time of year . Recently this cultivar was usher in under the registered name of First Snow ® . Whichever name you incur it under , it will be a joy in the garden and provide a retentive season of garden interest .

‘Takeda Nishiki’ Japanese summersweet

Clethra barbinervis‘Takeda Nishiki’

Zones:6–9

Conditions : Full sunshine to partial shadiness ; average to moist well - enfeeble soil

aboriginal range : Japan

topnotch coolheaded plants

earth covers for shade

Richie Steffen is the executive director of the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden in Seattle .

Sources

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