No images found for this plant ID: 10612.
Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "10612" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.
mountain sweetpepperbush
Scientific Name: Clethra acuminata
Family: Clethraceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Tree, Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Other Names: PA (mountain pepper-bush)
Mountain Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra acuminata)
Clethra acuminata, commonly known as Mountain Sweet Pepperbush or Cinnamon Clethra, is a deciduous shrub native to the Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States.
Considerations for Pets
- The plant is a shrub.
Considerations for Children
- The plant is a shrub.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Clethra acuminata Michx.
- Family: Clethraceae (Sweet-Pepperbush Family)
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Taxonomic Rank: Species
- Synonyms/Common Names: Mountain pepperbush, Mountain sweet pepperbush, Cinnamon clethra, Mountain white-alder, Mountain Clethra, Cinnamon-bark Clethra, Mountain Sweetpepperbush, Sweet Pepperbush.
Distribution and Habitat
- The Mountain Sweet Pepperbush is found in the Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States.
- Its range extends from the Mountains of Pennsylvania and West Virginia to the northernmost parts of Georgia.
- It commonly grows in the understory of rich woods.
Morphological Characteristics
- Clethra acuminata is a deciduous shrub.
- It typically grows to a height of 12 feet, but can occasionally reach 20 feet or more.
- The bark is cinnamon-colored.
- Leaves are pointed.
Ecological Role
- Clethra acuminata is known to attract butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds, and beneficial insects.
- It is considered to have special value to Bumble Bees.
Quirky Facts
- The flowers of Clethra acuminata are reported to have a "spicily perfumed" fragrance.
- A decoction of bark scrapings was traditionally used by the Cherokee as an antiemetic to treat vomiting bile.
Further Information
- USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
- Discover Life
- Asheville Botanical Gardens (ashevillebotanicalgardens.org)