About

Clethra acuminata, the mountain pepper bush, is a shrub native to the Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States. It has been reported from the states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, primarily from deciduous forests at elevations of 500–1,400 m (1,600–4,600 ft).

Clethra acuminata is a native plant to the lower 48 states of the United States. It is an understory shrub found in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States. Other common names of Clethra acuminata include cinnamon clethra, mountain sweetpepperbush, and mountain sweet pepperbush. Clethra acuminata is a distinct species due to its floral and vegetative morphology within the genus. While Clethra acuminata is sometimes misidentified as Clethra alnifolia, they are two distinct species, Clethra acuminata has longer leaves.

How to grow it

Clethra acuminata should be grown in moist soil, and has been recognized as an important pollinator plant, in native plant gardens, supporting and attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, and honeybees. Clethra acuminata is most successfully cultivated when grown in partial sun. If grown successfully, C. acuminata can grow to more than twenty feet tall. The best soil type for C. acuminata is moist, humus-rich, an acidic pH less than six is preferable, as well as a rockier soil type. There are no common pest issues; however, root rot is common. There is no seed pretreatment required for seed germination. Clethra acuminata responds well to pruning and maintains its shape well. Clethra acuminata is a good choice for cultivation due to its heartiness against common pests including deer, disease, and physiological problems.

Where it grows

Clethra acuminata is distributed from northwest Georgia to southwest Pennsylvania. It tends to be found in hardwood forests in the higher elevations of the Appalachian Mountains as an understory component. Clethra acuminata lives in the 6a, 6b, 7a, and 7b USDA identified tolerance zones. Clethra acuminata's sister species Clethra alnifolia is found along the coast from as north as New York and as south as Texas, while going as far west as Tennessee.

Uses

The primary modern use of Clethra acuminata outside of its native habitat is in landscape planting as an ornamental. The bark of C. acuminata was used by the native Cherokee tribe as an antiemetic taken to ease vomiting, as well as an emetic to induce vomiting.

Other Clethra plants

Coastal sweetpepperbush · Lily Of The Valley Tree · Japanese Clethra · Clethra canescens var. clementis · Clethra longispicata · Clethra pachyphylla · Clethra scabra · Sweetpepperbush