PL#356
Ripple Effect
Clethra 'SMNCAC'
A fountain of flowers and fragrance, Ripple Effect™ summersweet was a favorite in our trials, selected for its multiple, successively blooming, floral racemes. The fragrant white flowers bloom abundantly in summer, drawing in bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The flowers are backdropped by healthy dark green foliage, which gets a lovely blend of fall coloring in autumn. This native Clethra alnifolia has a dense, compact habit, tucking nicely into foundation plantings, mixed borders, or in pollinator or wildlife gardens.
Public reference
- Genus
- Clethra
- Species
- —
- Cultivar
- SMNCAC
- Trade name
- RIPPLE EFFECT
- Hardiness zones
- 4–10 (USDA)
- Mature height
- 3–5 ft
- Mature width
- 3–4 ft
- Description
- A fountain of flowers and fragrance, Ripple Effect™ summersweet was a favorite in our trials, selected for its multiple, successively blooming, floral racemes. The fragrant white flowers bloom abundantly in summer, drawing in bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The flowers are backdropped by healthy dark green foliage, which gets a lovely blend of fall coloring in autumn. This native Clethra alnifolia has a dense, compact habit, tucking nicely into foundation plantings, mixed borders, or in pollinator or wildlife gardens.
More attributes available to subscribers
Silver, Gold, and White tiers unlock the full curator-reviewed record — care requirements, flower & foliage detail, wildlife value, safety, and legal status.
Identity
- Common names
- For subscribers only
- Patent number
- For subscribers only
Lifecycle & form
- Lifecycle
- For subscribers only
- Deciduous / evergreen
- For subscribers only
- Height category
- For subscribers only
- Form
- For subscribers only
- Growth habit
- For subscribers only
Site requirements
- Sun exposure
- For subscribers only
- Soil moisture
- For subscribers only
- pH range
- For subscribers only
- Drought tolerant
- For subscribers only
- Flood tolerant
- For subscribers only
- Heat tolerant
- For subscribers only
Flowers
- Bloom months
- For subscribers only
- Flower colors
- For subscribers only
- Flower size
- For subscribers only
- Flower shape
- For subscribers only
- Petal count
- For subscribers only
- Reblooming
- For subscribers only
- Fragrance level
- For subscribers only
- Fragrance notes
- For subscribers only
Foliage
- Foliage colors (by season)
- For subscribers only
- Variegated
- For subscribers only
- Seasons of interest
- For subscribers only
Wildlife & safety
- Attracts
- For subscribers only
- Deer resistant
- For subscribers only
- Rodent resistant
- For subscribers only
- Pet toxicity
- For subscribers only
- Human toxicity
- For subscribers only
Use & care
- Best for
- For subscribers only
- Thornless
- For subscribers only
- Has seed pods
- For subscribers only
- Difficulty level
- For subscribers only
- Gardener notes
- For subscribers only
Legal
- Asexual propagation forbidden
- For subscribers only
- Patent expires
- For subscribers only
Showing the public preview. Subscribers see the curator-reviewed values for every field below.