The Sweet Pepperbush Family
What are they?
Pepperbushes are members of the Clethraceae, a small family of woody plants largely found in warm-temperate and tropical parts of Asia and North America.
Where are they found?
This family is closely related to the Ericaceae (blueberries and allies) and similarly prefers acid soils.
Identification
There is only one species in the Cape May area, making identification relatively straight forward, especially when in flower.
Common Sweet Pepperbush Clethra alnifolia
A common and often dominant species of wet woodland and shady to partially open scrubby swamps. Flowers July to September. This is one of the primary shrub species in wet woodland, forming often quite extensive and dense stands. The heavily-scented spikes of white flowers are favored by many butterfly species, especially admirals, swallowtails and hairstreaks.
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two-year stems |
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